MILLERSBURG (WPMT)-A Dauphin County couple was arrested Tuesday after their two children were found living in filth, police said.
Authorities charged 28-year-old Kyle W. Miller and 25-year-old Tiffany Worrell, both of Millersburg, with two counts of endangering the welfare of children. The pair has since posted $10,000 bail.
Pennsylvania State Police were called to Miller and Worrell’s home on the 100 block of Bolton’s Circle in Upper Paxton Township around noon on Feb. 20.
A Dauphin County Children and Youth Caseworker had contacted authorities after the office had received a referral of suspected child neglect at the home.
Miller and Worrell had been living at their home for three years with their two children, ages 1 and 3.
Police searched the home and found it covered in filth and detected strong chemical odor. Authorities found a large amount of animal feces on the floor and rotten food and liquor bottles scattered throughout the kitchen, according to court documents. The bathroom shower and toilet were also found to be inoperable, police said.
Miller told police that he and Worrell had become depressed after the death of their dog and that he could not bring himself to clean up the several pounds of dog feces in the bathroom, according to court documents. He said the children bathed in the sink and went to the bathroom in their diapers or a training toilet because of the broken facilities.
Worrell told investigators that she hadn’t cleaned the kitchen because she worked too many hours at her job, according to the criminal complaint.
When asked why there were several bottles of liquor laying out–Miller told police he kept an eye on the children so they didn’t get the liquor in the house, court document state.
As for the strong chemical odor–Miller suggested it was probably due to a leak in the fuel oil heat system that needed to be fixed. He told police he was in the process of filling the tank when Children and Youth arrived at his home, according to court paperwork.
Both admitted that the living conditions were unacceptable for their children.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 3.