NH Father Charged After Baby Found ‘Covered in Feces’

MANCHESTER, NH — A local man was scheduled to be arraigned in court today on charges after police allegedly found him and his children this morning in a “deplorable” apartment in the Queen City, according to police. James Grenier, 26, was arrested on two counts of endangering the welfare of a child and reckless conduct.

Editor’s note: This post was derived from information supplied by the Manchester Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction. This link explains the name removal request process for NH Patch police reports.

According to police, officers were sent to Quirin Street at around 3:30 a.m. to check on the condition of a man and two children residing in an apartment in the building. They spoke with the father of the children – Grenier – outside of the apartment and he reportedly stated he was not in danger of harming himself, according to Lt. Brian O’Keefe of the Manchester Police Department. The officers asked to check on the children and were allowed to, O’Keefe’s press statement noted.

“Officers found the children in extremely unsanitary and unsafe conditions,” he alleged. “The officers observed feces in the bedrooms, as well as the beds the children were sleeping on.”

A 4-year-old boy was allegedly “harnessed” to his bed and covered in feces and urine; a 2-year-old girl “was unclothed and also covered in feces inside of her crib,” according to officers.

“The officers determined the condition of the home was deplorable with both feces and trash covering the floors,” O’Keefe alleged. “The fly infested apartment had food on the counters and piles of human and animal feces scattered throughout the apartment floors. The pungent odor lingered throughout the hallways of the apartment building.”

Grenier was arrested and charged while the children were removed from the home and given to their grandparents, police noted. DCYF was also notified about the living conditions.