An Oklahoma couple, Dakota Dodd, 24, and Aubrianna Freeman, 22, were arrested after their two young boys, ages 3 and 4, were found covered in feces in a home so filthy that police officers had to wear hazmat suits.
The children were locked in a room filled with human waste for over 12 hours daily, according to Oklahoma City police. Officers were alerted by a neighbor who saw the boys naked and covered in filth.
Dodd admitted to locking the children in to “keep them safe,” as their mother slept. A baby girl, 11 months old, was also rescued from the home. The couple now faces five counts of child neglect.
Disturbing details
When authorities arrived at the residence on September 12, they found a home overwhelmed by the stench of feces and urine. According to a police report, dried feces was caked on the children’s bodies, including their fingernails and faces. The entire house was described as “disgusting,” with piles of human waste smeared across floors and walls. Officers were forced to wear hazmat suits due to the severe conditions.
Dodd, the stepfather of the boys, admitted that the children were locked up in the unsanitary room for more than half of each day so that Freeman, their biological mother, could sleep. Both adults are now facing serious legal consequences for their alleged neglect.
Neighbor’s intervention saves children
Barbara North, a concerned neighbor, said she often saw the boys looking out the window, naked and appearing to be in distress. “They looked at me as if to say help me,” North recounted. She described seeing the children with feces on their faces and bodies. Her report to authorities led to the discovery and rescue of the children.
Dodd and Freeman have been charged with multiple counts of child neglect, with the case drawing widespread attention due to the severity of the conditions the children endured.