UPDATE 7/1/26 @ 3:24 p.m.
VINTON COUNTY, Ohio. (WSAZ) - The Vinton County Sheriff’s Office has released caller accusation astir a kid neglect lawsuit successful Vinton County Wednesday afternoon.
Officials accidental astatine astir 10 a.m. Tuesday, instrumentality enforcement performed court-authorized hunt warrants connected Ohmer Street successful Hamden arsenic portion of an ongoing probe involving allegations of home maltreatment and kid neglect.
During the hunt warrants, investigators accidental they recovered 16 children wrong the residence, who Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said “looked similar astir feral animals.”
“In what I’ve seen up to this point, I deliberation if they would person waited different 24 hours, determination was a precise precocious probability that we’d beryllium dealing with a decease oregon aggregate deaths of these children,” Wilson said Wednesday.
Authorities accidental the children were kept successful an country measuring astir 12 feet by 12 feet.
Gary Siders Sr., Gary Siders Jr., Elizabeth Siders, and Christina Siders were arraigned successful the Vinton County Court of Common Pleas astatine 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Each is charged with 16 second-degree felony counts of endangering children and are each being held connected a $300,000 bond. All 4 pled not blameworthy successful an arraignment Wednesday morning.
The sheriff’s bureau says the 16 children were removed and are successful impermanent custody of the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services.
The children were initially taken to section hospitals for evaluation, officials say.
Officials accidental immoderate of the children were treated and released, portion others were taken to elevated aesculapian attraction and stay hospitalized successful superior condition, including 1 who was successful the ICU.
Wilson said that successful his agelong career, it was 1 of the worst scenes helium had ever witnessed.
“It truly looked 3rd world,” Wilson said Wednesday. “It’s the benignant of happening that we’re not utilized to seeing present successful America.”
“Most of our livestock was kept successful amended conditions than the children,” Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain said Wednesday. “It was highly precocious presence, I’m sure, of bacterial and quality feces. It was conscionable a disgusting scene.”
Officials accidental the probe has progressed, they person learned that members of the Siders household person lived successful aggregate Ohio counties since 2008.
Investigators accidental they judge the household mostly avoided establishing aesculapian and different authorities records during that time.
“The conditions these children lived successful were horrific, and we are sickened by it. Fortunately, this tragic section has closed, but their betterment volition instrumentality time,” Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain said successful a statement. “Our investigators volition proceed pursuing the grounds wherever it leads.”
Officials besides said it was unclear whether the children recieved immoderate education. The superintendent of Vinton County Local Schools told WSAZ determination were nary records of the household astatine the school. The superintendent of the Gallia County Local Schools told WSAZ they did spot records from 2021 that indicated Gary Jr. and Elizabeth were parents astatine the schoolhouse astatine the time.
At this time, investigators accidental they person recovered nary grounds of immoderate menace to the nationalist and judge the lawsuit involves prolonged and utmost intrafamilial neglect and abuse.
The probe remains ongoing and is being conducted by the Vinton County Sheriff’s Office and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the Hamden Fire Department, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, and Jackson County Job and Family Services.
Officials accidental further charges are expected to beryllium brought by the Vinton County Prosecutor’s Office arsenic much accusation is released.
Anyone with accusation astir the lawsuit is asked to interaction investigators by calling 855-BCI-OHIO.
UPDATE 7/1/26 @ 1:14 p.m.
VINTON COUNTY, Ohio. (WSAZ) - It’s a lawsuit officials are calling “almost indescribable.” Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson released caller accusation astir a kid neglect lawsuit successful Vinton County Wednesday afternoon, on with Sheriff Ryan Cain and different investigators.
Four radical were arrested and charged aft investigators searched a location successful the Hamden country and discovered 16 children wrong Tuesday.
AG Wilson said 7 of those children were taken to Columbus hospitals, and astatine slightest 2 of them were life-flighted. He said the children person constricted connection skills, and immoderate of them can’t pass astatine all. They scope successful ages from 1 and a fractional to 18 years old.
Gary Siders Sr., Gary Siders Jr., Christina Siders, and Elizabeth Siders are each facing 16 second-degree felony counts of kid endangerment successful the case.
Sheriff Ryan Cain described it arsenic a “disgusting scene”, and mentioned that astir livestock is kept successful amended conditions than these children were. Cain said a ample fig of the children were kept successful a astir 12x12 area, which helium said seems to beryllium wherever they spent astir of the past 4 years.
AG Wilson said a batch of recognition should spell to section instrumentality enforcement successful this case, and that if they had waited different 24 hours, the concern could person turned deadly.
When asked, officials said neighbors successful the country had nary thought determination were adjacent children wrong the home.
Authorities besides clarified that this is simply a household matter, and is not related to kid trafficking.
Watch much of the property league from Wednesday here.
ORIGINAL STORY
VINTON COUNTY, Ohio. (WSAZ) - Four radical were arraigned Wednesday greeting aft a hunt recovered 16 children wrong a location successful the Hamden country of Vinton County, according to Vinton County Prosecuting Attorney William Archer.
The hunt happened successful the 100 artifact of Ohmer Street Tuesday.
Following the search, officials arrested and identified the suspects arsenic Gary Siders Sr., Gary Siders Jr., Christina Siders, and Elizabeth Siders.
All 4 are facing 16 second-degree felony counts of kid endangerment.
All 4 pleaded not blameworthy to the kid endangerment charges successful Vinton County Common Pleas Court. They are each being held connected a $300,000 bond, with nary interaction allowed with each different oregon the victims.
Four arrested, 16 children rescued from southeast Ohio home
In a quality league Tuesday night, officials said 2 children had to beryllium life-flighted to trauma centers, and the victims are being treated astatine hospitals passim Ohio.
Their ages scope from 1 and a fractional to 18 years old. Officials declined to reply astir the narration betwixt the children.
Officials said determination is simply a secondary probe underway astatine the spot wherever investigators described conditions arsenic “deplorable.”
Previous sum tin beryllium recovered here.
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