Five children, including a seven-week-old baby, were taken from a home in Johnston, Rhode Island last week and their mother was arrested on child abuse charges.
Johnston police told Boston NBC10 affiliate WJAR that officers conducted a wellness check at the Harris Avenue home around noon Wednesday following a report and found “deplorable living conditions” throughout the home, including garbage, feces and moldy food.
In addition, there was no food or water for the family’s cats in the house; these have since been confiscated by animal control.
The children were taken to Hasbro Children’s Hospital for evaluation and are now in the custody of the state Department of Children, Youth and Families, WJAR reports. Their mother, 40-year-old Tiffany Vanstone, was taken into custody on five counts of child abuse or neglect and unnecessary cruelty to animals.
She was later released on bond, but was only allowed to see her children under DCYF supervision, police told WJAR.
The family’s home was deemed uninhabitable and the city of Johnson fined them more than $34,000, according to WJAR. A court hearing is scheduled for next week.
Rhode Island
