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A couple from Wisconsin is facing several neglect charges after authorities found their six children, including a baby, living in a dirty, locked storage unit.
The startling discovery was made by Milwaukee authorities at a StorSafe facility on Tuesday following reports of children confined in a small, windowless unit, according to a criminal complaint reviewed by the Daily Mail.
When officers arrived, they were met with a ‘putrid’ smell and discovered six children inside, ages ranging from just two months to nine years old.
Charles Dupriest, 33, and Azyia Zielinski, 26, were taken into custody and charged with six counts of child neglect each. Four of these charges are felonies, with additional charges for neglect involving children under the age of six.
Dupriest, a registered sex offender, also faces an additional charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Officers first on the scene responded to the facility after concerns of a child crying from inside one of the units.
One of the officers also heard a child coughing inside the unit upon arrival, but saw that a padlock on the garage-style door was preventing anyone from getting out, the complaint said.
Firefighters were called to cut the padlock, revealing six children inside – the youngest just two months old.
When officers arrived, they were met with a ‘putrid’ smell and discovered six children inside, ages ranging from just two months to nine years old
Authorities were called to a StorSafe facility in Milwaukee (pictured) on Tuesday after reports of a child crying inside a unit emerged
Charles Dupriest (right), 33, and Azyia Zielinski (left), 26, were arrested and charged with six counts of child neglect each – four of which are felonies that include enhanced charges for neglect involving children under six
Authorities also found an orange bucket of urine in the middle of the dark room and noted that the only light available to the children came from a narrow crack beneath the garage-style door.
It was at this point that a five-year-old child quietly told a detective, ‘We’re not supposed to be loud.’
Officers eventually woke the oldest child, a nine-year-old, who identified Dupriest and Zielinski as their parents.
The child, who said he stayed at the storage unit about half the time, went on to describe the responsibilities he was given to care for the other five children while their parents were away.
He explained that when the infant cried, it was his job to give a bottle or pacifier – but he was also hungry himself and had no phone or way to contact his parents in an emergency.
In the complaint, detectives described the unit as ‘in disarray,’ containing only a sectional couch and a bare twin mattress – without bedsheets – where three of the children slept.
Boxes of chips, milk, and a case of soda were found inside the unit, but there was no electricity, running water, or lighting – and the foul smell was so overwhelming that detectives couldn’t stay inside.
About an hour later, detectives found Dupriest and Zielinski sleeping inside their black Ford Expedition SUV in the parking lot. They also found a loaded gun in the center console of their car.
Authorities found an orange bucket of urine in the middle of the dark room (pictured) and noted that the only light available to the children came from a narrow crack beneath the garage-style door
Detectives described the unit (facility pictured) as ‘in disarray,’ containing only a sectional couch and a bare twin mattress – without bedsheets – where three of the children slept
The oldest child told detectives that when the baby cried, it was his job to give a bottle or pacifier – but he was also hungry himself and had no phone or way to contact his parents in an emergency (pictured: Zielinski and one of her children)
The pair admitted that they slept there with their dog while their children remained locked inside the unit, according to the complaint. However, authorities observed that the vehicle had three rows of seats, with the middle row entirely open.
The couple claimed to be homeless but later admitted there was no real need for their children to live in the unit, as they could have stayed with family or friends.
Detectives also spoke with a storage facility employee, who recalled hearing an adult male say ‘Sit down and be quiet,’ while cleaning outside the unit back in May, according to the docs.
The employee provided authorities with surveillance footage showing Dupriest and Zielinski dropping off their children at the unit and noted that he had seen a twin-sized mattress inside.
He explained that he reported the issue to management, who issued an eviction notice to the unit’s owners, but he grew increasingly ‘irritated’ after discovering a burnt marijuana blunt on the keypad outside their unit.
After the discovery, Dupriest and Zielinski were interviewed, during which the mother-of-six explained she had struggled to find stable housing for years and was recently evicted from a homeless shelter.
Zielinski admitted that after giving birth in July, she was ‘kicked out of Joy House,’ a women and children’s shelter at the Milwaukee Rescue Mission, though the documents don’t specify the reason.
She said her children had been living in the storage unit for about six weeks, relying on food from local organizations, food stamps, and $2,000 per month in Social Security benefits.
Detectives found Dupriest and Zielinski sleeping inside their black Ford Expedition SUV in the parking lot. They also found a loaded gun in the center console of their car (pictured: scene)
The mother-of-six (pictured) explained to police that she had struggled to find stable housing for years and was recently evicted from a homeless shelter
Detectives also spoke with a storage facility employee, who recalled hearing an adult male say ‘Sit down and be quiet,’ while cleaning outside the unit back in May (pictured: storage unit)
The mother confessed to giving her children the bucket and admitted to owning the firearm, but said Dupriest had handled the gun as well, so both of their DNA would be on it.
Dupriest told investigators he had slept in the unit but stopped after their dog damaged the truck. He also denied handling the gun and refused to provide DNA samples, according to the complaint.
The complaint also details interviews with several of the children, who described living in the unit and expressed fear and uncertainty about how – or if – they could ever get out.
The five-year-old child shared feeling ‘sad’ and ‘mad’ about being locked in the unit and said the dog got to sleep in the car, which made her feel upset enough to make the unit dirty.
She described her parents drinking and smoking inside the unit or their SUV and said her father – who she said carried a gun at his hip – told the children to keep quiet about it.
The nine-year-old told detectives that Dupriest would give all the children – except the infant – ‘whoopings.’
According to the complaint, on one occasion, Dupriest hit the child’s mouth so hard it caused his lip to bleed. After another beating, the child believed he needed hospital care and possibly surgery.
He reported that his parents drank tequila and vodka, became intoxicated, and would ‘slump over,’ leaving him responsible for caring for his younger siblings.
The nine-year-old child told detectives that Dupriest (pictured with one child) would give all the children – except the infant – ‘whoopings’
The five-year-old child described her parents drinking and smoking inside the unit (pictured) or their SUV and said her father – who she said carried a gun at his hip – told the children to keep quiet about it
The nine-year-old boy said that on one occasion, Dupriest (pictured) hit his mouth so hard it caused his lip to bleed. After another beating, he believed he needed hospital care and possibly surgery
During the interview, he also told police that his father had ‘a bunch of guns,’ which he kept either in the car or on his person.
On Friday, Zielinski made her first court appearance, where the state requested a $1,000 PR bond – allowing her release without upfront payment, based on a promise to appear in court, according to Fox 6 News.
While the defense agreed to the bond request, Court Commissioner Andrea Bolender emphasized that the seriousness of the charges warranted stronger consideration.
‘You are supposed to protect them and these children are now supposed to have lifelong scars that will affect every aspect of their life and a PR bond?’ Bolender said.
‘This court has a duty to protect these children and protect others,’ she added. ‘This type of mentality to think this is okay, this cannot go on.’
Ultimately, a $5,000 cash bond was set for Zielinski, with her preliminary hearing scheduled for September 25.
Later that day, Dupriest made his initial court appearance, where the state recommended a higher cash bail of $10,000.
The commissioner agreed with the recommendation but ultimately doubled the cash bail to $20,000. Dupriest’s preliminary hearing is also scheduled for September 25.
