Boy from ‘filthy’ house getting treatment; mother remains jailed
NEW CUMBERLAND–The mother of a little boy who was living in “filthy” conditions made a short appearance in court on Friday and will stay in jail for now.
Sabrina Lynn Criswell, 24, of 282 Commerce St., New Cumberland, told Hancock County Magistrate Scott Hicks that she understood the charge against her but did not enter a plea. She faces one felony count of gross neglect of a child (creating substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury).
Criswell, represented by Weirton attorney Dave Mascio, waived her right to a preliminary hearing, meaning the case will be transferred to Hancock County Circuit Court. It is likely the grand jury will hear the case in January.
When Mascio asked about reducing the bond amount, Hicks told him to take it up with the Circuit Court judge. Criswell is being held in the Northern Regional Jail in Moundsville on a $100,000 bond.
Criswell was arrested on Tuesday after Hancock County authorities visited her home on Dec. 1 and found her 2-year-old son suffering from symptoms allegedly related to the “deplorable” conditions, court records said.
On Friday, Hancock County Assistant Prosecutor Allison Cowden, who handles child abuse and neglect cases, said the boy is living with a family member.
“The child’s getting treatment and is doing fine and is safe,” Cowden said, declining further comment because of confidentiality requirements.
The child’s status will be adjudicated by the Circuit Court, which is tasked with handling abuse and neglect proceedings in West Virginia. Meanwhile, Child Protective Services will do an assessment of the family situation and how it could be improved, Cowden said.
When authorities visited the home on Dec. 1, they noted a “strong odor” of dog urine and the presence of dog feces in the kitchen and in the bedroom where the boy stayed, according to a criminal complaint filed in Hancock County Magistrate Court.
In addition to the boy, four dogs suffering from a variety of physical ailments were removed from the home. Two are being kept at the Hancock County Animal Shelter, and two are in foster care. One of the dogs is pregnant.
Three of the dogs belong to Criswell’s mother, Karen Lynn Reese, 45, who was charged with three misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals. Reese is the owner of the 808-square-foot home that sits on a hillside on Commerce Street, according to the Hancock County Assessor’s Office.
Seven people were living in the house at the time the boy was removed, the complaint said.