MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Six children, ranging in age from 2 months to 9 years old, were found living in deplorable conditions inside a storage unit on Milwaukee's northwest side.
TMJ4 News first told you about this story on Tuesday.
READ ALSO | Parents charged after six children found locked in Milwaukee storage unit
We're learning more details about their living conditions after the mother, Azyia Zielinski, and Charles Dupriest were arrested and charged with several counts of neglecting a child.
According to a criminal complaint, the children were discovered Tuesday morning around 1:30 a.m. at StorSafe on N. 27th Street and Silver Spring after someone heard a baby crying inside a locked storage unit and called 911.
Detectives said when they arrived, they had to cut open a padlock to access the unit, where they found a deteriorated couch, a mattress with no sheets, a bucket filled with urine, and the six children.
The children told detectives they had been sleeping in the storage unit for months with minimal food, no water, no electricity, and no lights. The children also said they were forced to use a bucket as their bathroom.
Dupriest and Zielinski were later found sleeping nearby in their car.
Watch: Six children found in storage unit after mother previously received housing assistance and shelter
Family had previously received shelter assistance
When police spoke with Zielinski, she told them the family was homeless and that she had struggled to secure housing for years. She said she was kicked out of Joy House, in July, a women and children's shelter in downtown Milwaukee.
However, Pat Vanderburgh, president and CEO of Milwaukee Rescue Mission, which operates Joy House, said the family was never kicked out.
"They stayed with us for two months in 2023 and then again in June and July for a little over a month this year," Vanderburgh said.
He said before Zielinski and her children left in July, Joy House and another organization had secured permanent housing for the family.
"Is this how you're finding out that this family was never, never made it to the permanent home you guys have made," Reporter Jenna Rae asked.
"This is how we're finding out. Our assumption in July was that we knew from mom and other sources we knew, they had lined up permanent housing," Vanderburgh responded. "Now we're hearing this, and again, mystery to us, how it went sideways."
Vanderburgh said multiple organizations had been helping the family with resources for food and housing.
The criminal complaint states Zielinski received WIC and food stamps, as well as $2,000/month in Social Security benefits.
"Some of the situations are just; there are so many dynamics that enter into people that are experiencing crisis," Vanderburgh said.
The children are now under the care of Child Protective Services.
This story was reported on-air by Jenna Rae and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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