By Liz Shepherd
InkFreeNews

Diana Karen Saucedo

Steven James Paul George

WARSAW — Two parents were recently arrested on neglect charges after three young children were found close to a roadway with no supervision.

Diana Karen Saucedo, 27, 3699 N. 175E Lot 150, Warsaw, is charged with three counts of neglect of a dependent, all level 6 felonies.

Steven James Paul George, 27, 3699 N. 175E Lot 150, Warsaw, is charged with possession of methamphetamine, a level 4 felony; and three counts of neglect of a dependent, all level 6 felonies.

On Aug. 24, a Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to a report of young children close to a busy roadway. A woman said she found three children, who all appeared to be under four years old, dangerously close to a road without any supervision.

According to court documents, the deputy spoke with Saucedo, who denied knowing the children or being related to them. However, after 30 minutes, Saucedo admitted to being the children’s mother.

When the deputy first arrived at the scene, he forcefully knocked at the residence where the children resided, but received no response. Upon placing the three children in his air-conditioned vehicle, the deputy immediately noticed a smell indicating the children had not been bathed recently and needed their diapers changed. Eventually, George came out of the residence and said Saucedo was supposed to be watching the children. George said he was the children’s father.

The three children were all taken to a local hospital for treatment related to dehydration and visible injuries on their skin. At the time of this incident, the temperature was about 93 degrees and the area was under an excessive heat warning. Saucedo was also taken to a local hospital and later told officers she tested positive for amphetamines.

Due to the children’s physical conditions and the unsafe environment, George was taken into custody. Upon searching George’s person, officers found six grams of meth.

Officers then searched Saucedo and George’s home. Trash covered most of the floor, with the smell inside the residence described as “rancid.” Moldy food items were scattered throughout the kitchen and the bathroom shower was inoperable.

Saucedo and George were both booked in the Kosciusko County Jail on Aug. 24.