Ohio neighbours reveal chilling details they saw before 16 children were found trapped in room

Neighbours have revealed the chilling details of what they saw before 16 children were found and rescued from a home in Ohio where authorities say they had been living in horrific conditions.

The children, who are aged between 18 months and 18 years, were found at a house in Hamden, a small village in Vinton County, after officers carried out a search warrant linked to a separate investigation.

Since then, people in the village have been trying to understand how so many children could have been living there without anyone knowing.

‘We never saw any kids’

via Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson

Joseph Stewart, who has lived three houses away for six years, told the Associated Press the discovery has left the neighbourhood in shock.

“It’s a sad situation. It’s a quiet neighbourhood.”

He also said he had seen “no kids at all” at the property during the time he had lived there.

Next-door neighbour Josh Odell said, “We have a little girl ourselves, so it immediately alarmed me that there’s some very bad people that were just right there.”

He added, “Like, did they give birth at the hospital to all these kids? Where are those records? Something that struck me is that these people were not from around here.”

Odell admitted he wishes he could have” done something sooner”.

Another local, Sabrina Hill also said, “Then I’ve heard there were a lot of animals in the home as well. So I can just imagine what the kids lived in and went through.”

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She added, “Did they know the kids were there? I mean, that’s just where it kind of bothers me. If they knew the kids were there, they should have been removed, I think.”

Larry Brown said, “It’s stupid that this happened this close to Wellston and Vinton County. You just don’t know what’s going on in this world anymore. I come up and down here all the time and I’ve never seen a kid out here.”

Dollar General worker says family visited almost every night

Meanwhile, a worker at the local Dollar General said she saw members of the family almost every night. Ariel Gutierrez has worked at the Hamden store for around two and a half years. She told ABC 6 that Gary and Elizabeth Siders regularly came in just before closing, sometimes with one of the children.

“It was mind-blowing once I saw the mugshot. I just saw them on Monday. They were my last customers. It’s sad. It’s a crazy, sad situation.”

Gutierrez said one child was always kept close to the adults and was never allowed to speak to anyone inside the shop. She also said the children she saw looked extremely thin and often kept their hair over their faces.

Store workers even tried to help by giving the family clothes and hygiene products because they thought they were struggling financially. But Gutierrez said they never saw the items being used.

After Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson spoke about the smell inside the home, Gutierrez said she immediately knew what he meant. “The smell will never leave my mind. It was so potent.”

She added, “I’m just sorry to the children. I’m praying, and I know they’re in better conditions now, and hopefully they get what they deserve.”

The children’s parents and grandparents have all been arrested and face child endangerment charges. They have entered not guilty pleas. Child welfare authorities now have custody of the children while the investigation continues.

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