A neighbor whose home overlooks the backyard of the Ohio property where 16 children were discovered living in horrific conditions has revealed what he did – and didn’t – notice before authorities made the shocking rescue.
The children, ranging in age from 18 months to 18 years old, were found on June 30 after the Vinton County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at a small home in Hamden. The warrant was connected to a separate criminal investigation.
Investigators believe more than half of the children spent the past four years confined to a small 12-foot-by-12-foot room, though authorities believe the alleged abuse and neglect likely began long before that.
Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson described the children as “almost feral,” according to CBS News, and said the conditions inside the home were ones “you cannot even imagine people being in, let alone children being in.”
Ohio “house of horrors”
Authorities arrested Gary Siders Jr., 36, Elizabeth Siders, 33, Gary Siders Sr., 73, and Christina Siders, 67, at the scene. All four have been charged with 16 counts of child endangerment.
Investigators also said none of the children had ever been enrolled in school and that the property was in a state of severe neglect, with dirt and feces throughout the home.
“One of the investigative challenges is that [the children] are limited. They can communicate, but it’s extremely limited, and some not at all,” Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain said during a news conference.
16 children rescued
Several of the children required immediate medical treatment after they were removed from the home. Two were airlifted to specialized trauma centers after suffering what Wilson described as “serious physical harm,” while another seven were transported to hospitals in Columbus, including one child who was admitted to the intensive care unit and intubated.
A first responder who drove four of the children to the hospital later described the emotional 20-minute ride.
“It was just quiet… blank expressions,” the acting fire public information officer said in a police interview, according to VT. “Of course, they were scared. They’ve never endured anything like that before. They didn’t know where they were going, you know, that kind of situation.”
When asked whether the children spoke during the trip, he replied: “They didn’t speak to me. I try to have limited contact, unless I was asked to help.”
Neighbor never saw any kids
He also described the condition of the home, saying it had “cockroaches and stuff like that,” before adding: “Bugs just in general and the conditions, you know, bugs get on the children and stuff and they scratch, and they bite and all that stuff. So, their condition wasn’t the greatest.”
According to The Independent, the home sits along a quiet road next to a steep railroad embankment where trains pass on their way to a nearby rail yard in the small village of fewer than 1,000 residents. Although trees and thick vegetation separate the property from neighboring homes, the house remains clearly visible from the road.
Despite having a direct view of the backyard, neighbor Josh Odell said he never saw any children at the home.
“I really hope they all get better. But, I mean, it obviously weighed on my conscience that I wished I could have done something,” Odell told WSYX-TV, according to VT.
“It’s a sad situation”
Another nearby resident, Joseph Stewart, 60, said he also never realized children were living at the house.
“It’s a sad situation,” Stewart said, describing the area as “a quiet neighborhood,” where he has lived for the past six years.
The case remains ongoing as prosecutors pursue charges against the four adults. Each faces 16 counts of second-degree felony child endangerment, with each count carrying a minimum sentence of two years and a maximum of 12 years in prison. If convicted on all counts, each defendant could face up to 192 years behind bars. All four have pleaded not guilty and are being held on $300,000 bond.
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