INDIANA -- When police searched a Cedar Lake home last month, the odor of urine and feces was so strong that officers could only stand to be inside for a short period before going outside for fresh air.
The Lake County police officers found feces outside and throughout the home located in the 13000 block of Edison Street in Cedar Lake, according to the affidavit.
Clothes, toys, remnants of food and garbage were found throughout the house, according to court records. Officers also observed a brown liquid rising from the carpet along with fleas.
Nicole L. De La Cruz, 29, and Chad E. De La Cruz, 30, were each charged Friday with five counts of neglect of a dependent and one count of cruelty to an animal.
Warrants were issued for their arrest, but they were not in custody as of Friday afternoon.
As a result of the investigation, the couple's five children were temporarily placed in the state's custody.
The Lake County sheriff's department began investigating the couple on Dec. 12 after Patches, a black mixed-breed dog, for two days was seen eating out of garbage cans at a gas station near the intersection of 133rd Avenue and Whitcomb Street in Cedar Lake.
An examination of Patches later revealed it had broken teeth, was about 20 pounds underweight, had sarcoptic mange and appeared to be depressed, according to court records.
The couple contacted the sheriff's department in attempts to get Patches back. The sheriff's department gave the couple's attorney a list of conditions that had to be met before the dog could be returned to their custody.
Those conditions included allowing an investigator to see where Patches would be living.
On Dec. 16, an investigator for the Lake County sheriff's department animal control visited the couple's home and reported that the living conditions were deplorable for humans and animals. That prompted police to search the home the next day.
Police removed two dogs from the home and three rabbits, according to the affidavit. There were also two cats in the home, but they evaded capture.
There were no lights in the bedrooms, and there were gates at the entrance of each bedroom, according to the affidavit. There was also a space heater in the living room, which police suspected was a fire hazard because of the conditions of the home.
The Indiana Department of Child Services was called on the scene to take custody of the couple's five children, according to the affidavit.
(nwitimes.com - Jan 9, 2016)
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