Milwaukee County Sheriff's Deputies find children, ages 3 and 8, left alone in "squalid residence"

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) --Deputies stopped at a Milwaukee residence to serve court documents on Monday afternoon when they discovered two young children, ages three and eight, alone and wearing only t-shirts.

According to the Sheriff's Office, the residence was infested with cockroaches, mice, rats and bedbugs, and had a strong odor of feces.

Child Protective Services and additional detectives responded.

 A neighbor gave the children food while officials attempted to find the parents. The mother arrived at about 12:15 p.m., and, through an interpreter, said her four older children were in school, and she had left to run errands for a few hours.

Child Protective Services took custody of the children and contacted the schools of the older children to arrange to take them from school.

A housing inspector was called to inspect the residence and assess the living conditions.

The incident will be referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office for possible charges of Child Neglect.