TRENTON — In an otherwise tidy neighborhood full of retirees and young families, the outside of the one-story brick ranch at 603 Third St. appeared unkempt. The grass was overgrown. An above-ground pool was full of slime and algae. Trash bags were piled up.

Police found filth and garbage covering floors and counters in a Trenton home. (Trenton Police Department photo) | ZOOM |

        But the exterior gave only a hint of the extensive filth, odor and clutter inside the home, where four children and three adults were living, Police Chief Rodney Hale said Tuesday.

        “Once you opened the front door, the stench was very evident, and the door could not open except maybe 18 to 24 inches because of garbage piled up — in some cases 4 and 5 feet tall,” Chief Hale said, calling the living conditions the worst he had encountered in his 22 years in law enforcement. “This was so unexpected in that neighborhood.”

        The four children, ages 1 to 11, were removed from the home Monday evening and were placed with a relative. Adults were charged with misdemeanor child endangering and ordered to clean up the mess. Thomas Ratliff, 54; his wife, Betty, 52; and Tamela Wingeier, 26, were released and are scheduled to appear July 23 in Trenton Mayor's Court.

        Three of the children are Ms. Wingeier's, Chief Hale said; the Ratliffs are Ms. Wingeier's parents. The fourth child is a relative being adopted by the Ratliffs.

        Butler County Children Services caseworkers are scheduled to visit the home today to see whether conditions are good enough for the children to return, Bob Walker, agency spokesman, said Tuesday.

        On Monday evening, the agency had asked police to accompany a caseworker while she investigated a complaint of unattended or neglected children, Chief Hale said.

        They found the home in disarray. Hardly any floor space was visible in the 1,188-square-foot home, Chief Hale said.

        Police found a refrigerator “packed with food, but it had rotted,” Chief Hale said. “When we opened the door, the stench and odor almost caused us to gag.”

        Officer Joseph Zianno's report says: “There were roaches and flies all over the house. The only way to get through the home was to walk over garbage and refuse.”

        County auditor's records show the Ratliffs bought the home for $96,000 in August 2000.
       

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