A Southern California couple found with their three children in a makeshift desert shack said they hope to be reunited with their kids now that they have a house to live in.
Daniel Panico, 73, and Mona Kirk, 51, on Tuesday visited their new home near Joshua Tree that was paid for and furnished by donations to a GoFundMe campaign started by a friend.
Their lawyers have said they’ll argue that child endangerment charges against the couple should be dropped. Panico and Kirk said they’re not abusive, just poor.
Daniel Panico, 73, and Mona Kirk, 51, show off their new home which was bought with funds donated from their community
The couple had their kids taken away from them last month when authorities discovered them living in horrendous conditions on their property near Joshua Tree, California
The money for the new home was raised on GoFundMe. The woman who organized the fund shared these pictures of the couple’s new home being renovated
Above, a view of the new home’s kitchen space, which looks like it still needs a bit of work
Workers install a hardwood floor in the home. The rest of the donations will be put towards furnishing the home
One of the bedrooms was painted pink for the kids, who are still in the custody of the state
Above, another bedroom in the couple’s new home near Joshua Tree
More than $60,000 has been raised for the couple’s new home
Authorities took custody of the three kids – between 11 and 14 years old – when the parents were arrested last month. The couple hasn’t seen or spoken to their children since.
Panico fought back tears Tuesday as he thanked everyone who donated. He told KMIR-TV that he’s dreamed of bringing his family together in a house like the one he now has.
Kirk recalled the fear she felt the day she and her husband of 17 years were arrested.
‘I came out of the fort and there were three deputies holding their guns out and screaming for the kids to come out,’ she told the news station.
This is the shack that the couple and their three kids were found living in last month
Trash was strewn about the property. This area seemed to function as the family’s kitchen
The shelter was cobbled together with plywood and plastic sheeting. Several holes on the property were filled with feces, the sheriff’s office said
When the children were rescued from the horror living situation, police said there was no signs they were physically abused and they did not seem to be malnourished
The children also were not enrolled in public school, which is a illegal for their ages
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department has said the children had been living in the shack without running water, bathrooms or electricity for several years in the desert about 125 miles east of Los Angeles.
The shelter was cobbled together with plywood and plastic sheeting. Several holes on the property were filled with feces, the sheriff’s office said.
Sheriff’s spokeswoman Cindy Bachman said at the time that the children didn’t appear to have any obvious injuries and showed no outward signs of malnutrition but ‘it was apparent they had not bathed in days.’
The children were not enrolled in public school and there was no evidence they were being educated, Bachman said.
Dozens of people rallied in support of the couple outside their court hearing March 6, holding signs that read ‘Being homeless is not a crime’ and ‘Poverty is not a choice.’
Panico said he hopes to see laws changed so families who are struggling are not so easily separated.
‘And children wrenched from their parents? It’s not right,’ he said.