COEUR D'ALENE-- Neighbors are in shock with a child neglect case in Coeur d'Alene.
During a welfare check, an officer discovered twin girls, 2, naked, living in filth and feces. The Coeur d’Alene Police arrested their mother, Elizabeth C. Crossley, 26, Sunday afternoon for two counts of felony injury to a child. Police took grandmother, Ruth K. Cassidy into custody Tuesday. She is expected to make her first court appearance on Wednesday.
The officer spoke with the grandmother Sunday, who claimed the twin girls were difficult, and their scrapes and bruises came from each other. She added they wouldn't keep their clothes on. Their mother reported they were trouble and difficult to manage.
Police discovered the children after Anthony Brown spotted the girls sleepng naked on the floor while walking by the apartment at 1201 North Lincoln Way.
"It looked to me like they were sleeping in trash, and I was like, wow, that's disturbing, like I couldn't get it out of my mind," Brown said.
The police report reveils Brown did not see any bedding for the children and they appeared to be sleeping in very dirty conditions.
Brown knocked on the door of the apartment and spoke to the mom and grandmother. Brown told them the children looked like they needed some attention. He said the women dismissed his concerns and shut the door.
When the officer arrived, he reported seeing the children through the window, lying face down on the carpet, naked, and clutching a small teddy bear.
The police report said conditions inside the apartment were horrific, every wall appearing to have fecal matter on it. The carpet also appeared to be soaked with urine and feces. The officer reported there was also exposed heaters and electrical outlets.
The officer observed a large number of cats and two dogs in the residence. He said the apartment was dirty with clutter strewn about and rotten food in the kitchen.
The officer viewed Crossley’s and Cassidy’s bedroom and saw beds in both rooms appeared relatively clean. The officer said he asked to see the children but both women tried to keep them from doing so.
The police report states the officer was met with a strong order of fecal matter when opening a bedroom door with the girls inside. The smell was overwhelming to the point he officer had to step outside the door.
The officer immediately removed the girls from the room and placed them into protective custody. He observed injuries on both children; bruising on various parts of their bodies and open sores.
Both girls had dried fecal matter caked on their heads, arms, legs, hands, and feet. They were transported to Kootenai Medical Center for further determination of injuries.
Authorities report the stuffed toys the girls had been clutching were smeared in feces. They said a couch cushion was also tied to the door in such a fashion to stop the girls from hitting the door or pounding on it. There was also a child safety device preventing the girls from opening it from the inside.
Police reports show the room had no furniture, and there were hand smears of fecal matter on the walls. The officer asked Cassidy the names of the children. Cassidy was unable to identify the girls and mixed up their identities. She was ultimately able to tell them apart by lifting up their shirts to differentiate between their injuries.
Both children are currently in protective custody with Health and Welfare. Coeur d'Alene Police Chief Wayne M. Longo praised Anthony Brown for “his willingness to care and call the police. Isn’t great we still live in a community where people will still get involved and do the right thing?” Longo said.
