Kids Subjected To Disgusting Conditions In Pittsburgh-Area Home: Police

PITTSBURGH, PA — Cockroaches. Feces. Caged animals. A Pittsburgh-area couple is in jail after allegedly subjecting children and animals to unacceptable living conditions.

According to the Westmoreland County District Attorney's Office, Cassandra Richards and Mark Richards are in the county jail after failing to post $150,000 bond.

They are charged with endangering the welfare of children and animal cruelty.

Monessen Police responded to a residence on Graham Avenue after receiving a call from a person concerned that the animals were not receiving proper care, food or water.

According to the district attorney's office, police could smell a strong order of feces upon the door opening and were granted permission to check on the animals by Cassandra Richards.

Richards showed police a dog, a pit bull, being housed in a cage that that had water but no food.

Officers observed a bag of dog food in the room, dog and cat food on the floor, flies and cockroaches in the room.

Police said a litter box was full of feces and had flies flying around the box.

Upon checking other areas of the home, Monessen Police saw dead cockroaches throughout the entire home.

Upstairs in the children's bedrooms, police noticed cockroaches feeding off food left on the floor, garbage piled up in the rooms, and mattresses on the floor.

In the primary bedroom, police saw two ferrets and a rabbit in their respective cages without food or water.

Richards surrendered all of the animals to local rescue groups including five cats, a dog, two ferrets and a rabbit.

The district attorney's office did not state the ages of the children involved or where they now are being housed.