Detective recalls answering 911 call for 6 kids locked in storage locker, father pleads not guilty
By Zoie Henry
Click here for updates on this story
MILWAUKEE (WISN) — Six children were found in a locked storage unit in Milwaukee, leading to charges of child neglect against their parents, who were found sleeping in a nearby car.
Detective Andrew Farina described the scene after responding to an unusual 911 call at a storage locker.
“When officers arrived on scene, they could hear a baby crying in unit B, five eight,” Farina said.
Upon arrival, he found a padlocked door.
“Law enforcement called the fire department. The fire department responded and cut the lock off,” he said.
Inside the unit were six children: a newborn, a 2-year-old, a 3-year-old, a 5-year-old, a 7-year-old, and a 9-year-old, all alone.
Farina said the 9-year-old boy was the caretaker.
“He said that he was basically in charge of taking care of the 2-month-old by giving her a pacifier or bottle when she cries.”
Photos from the Milwaukee Police Department showed a soiled mattress, a tattered couch, and a bucket used as a toilet. The three boys and three girls were found without electricity or running water in unit B at StorSafe near 27th Street and Silver Spring Drive.
When asked about the children’s feelings, Farina said, “She said sad and angry,” referring to the 5-year-old girl.
Officers found the children’s parents, Charles Dupriest and Azyia Zielenski, sleeping in a car parked nearby. The father told police they are homeless, but added that they didn’t have to stay in the unit.
“He admitted that the children stayed in the storage unit three days per week. He stated they could have stayed with family or friends,” Farina said.
The detective testified that the family received $2,000 in government assistance plus some foodshare benefits.
Dupriest said nothing in court and is being held on a $20,000 bond. The court will proceed to trial for the father, while the mother’s case was delayed due to her lack of an attorney.
The court will move forward to trial for Dupriest. The mother, Zielinski, was scheduled to appear in court on Thursday, but her case was delayed because a public defender has not been appointed to her case.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.