Neighbours ‘never saw’ 16 ‘mute’ children found like ‘feral animals’ in Ohio home

Residents have been left stunned after police uncovered 16 ‘mute’ children in a cramped, rundown house in Ohio, with many claiming they had never once laid eyes on them.

The children, who were discovered looking like ‘feral animals’ in ‘worse conditions than livestock’, are thought to have been living in the property for four years.

Four adults, Gary Siders Jr, Gary Siders Sr, Christina Siders and Elizabeth Siders, were arrested for keeping them in ‘pure evil’ conditions.

View 7 Images

The community of the small town of Hamden has been left questioning how they remained so oblivious to what was taking place on their doorstep.

Investigators revealed the children were confined to a small room in the house in appalling conditions, and had not been enrolled in school, with neighbours ‘never spotting’ them.

The family had moved around over the past two decades.

The owner of VC Farm and Floral in nearby McArthur said: “Right under our noses and nobody was able to help them sooner.

View 7 Images

“It’s just crazy that all the wonderful things going on in our little Hallmark town and this is what puts us on the radar. It’s really sad.”

The mother of three added she decided to decorate the pavement with bright flowers in order to bring some cheer to the neighbourhood.

Authorities discovered the children, ranging from 18 months to 18 years old, on Tuesday during an unrelated investigation.

Some were unable to speak and one 18-year-old girl could not write her own name.

View 7 Images

Seven were rushed to hospital, including one who was in a critical condition, investigators confirmed. The current condition of the children remains unknown, with child welfare officials having been granted temporary custody.

A neighbour living three doors down from the Siders family revealed he had seen “no kids at all” at the property.

“It’s a sad situation,” said Joseph Stewart, 60, who has resided in the “quiet neighborhood” for six years.

The four adults — the children’s parents and grandparents — have all pleaded not guilty to child endangerment charges.

View 7 Images

An attorney representing the elder Siders stated his client is presumed innocent. “We ask that the community at large, as well as anyone who might have an interest in this case, to take a deep breath, step back, and let the case play out and the facts play out,” Dorian Baum told The Associated Press.

Police have yet to disclose the nature of the separate investigation that led them to the property on Tuesday. Court records, however, reveal that a warrant had been issued for Siders Jr. that same day on misdemeanour indecent exposure charges, relating to alleged incidents across four days in May.

He has pleaded not guilty.

View 7 Images

By Thursday, the windows and doors of the home, located approximately 60 miles southeast of Columbus, had been boarded up. The previous day, a door had been left ajar, with piles of rubbish and children’s toys visible inside, while the decking was strewn with debris.

Tucked alongside a steep railway embankment, the house is clearly visible from the road, with the nearest neighbours separated by trees and dense undergrowth. “These folks were pretty good at hiding these kids,” Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said Wednesday.

View 7 Images

The family had relocated across southern Ohio during the last 20 years, and it appears they deliberately steered clear of establishing any medical or official documentation.

Article continues below

Investigators were examining whether the family had previously been flagged to any children’s services agencies.