- Mona Kirk, 51, and Daniel Panico, 73 were arrested in Joshua Tree, California
- Cops located an abandoned trailer and box during a search of the property
- The property had no electricity or running water
- Approximately 30-40 cats were located inside the trailer and roaming freely
- Deputies discovered the children had been living in the box- which was approximately 20 feet long by 4 feet high by 10 ft wide
A mother and father have been arrested for keeping their three children in a plywood box for four years.
Mona Kirk, 51, and Daniel Panico, 73 were taken into custody in Joshua Tree, California, on on suspicion of willful cruelty to a child on Thursday.
Deputies located a travel trailer, which appeared to be abandoned, and a large rectangular box made of plywood on their property, according to a release from the sheriff’s department.
They then found the children – ages 11,1 3 and 14 – living in squalid conditions. Video and pictures taken at the scene show the area strewn with garbage and debris.
Mattresses and plastic bags are seen inside the box the youngsters were kept in – in an area where temperatures reach up to 120 degrees.
A mother and father have been arrested for keeping their three children in a plywood box for four years at their property in Joshua Tree, California, above
During the investigation, deputies learned the three victims have lived in the large rectangular box – which was approximately 20 feet long by 4 feet high by 10 ft wide – for approximately four years
This aerial photo from video provided by KABC-TV shows the ramshackle structure in unincorporated Joshua Tree in Southern California’s Mojave Desert on Thursday, March 1, 2018
The property had no electricity or running water. Several large holes and mounds of trash and human feces were located throughout the property
The victims were found to have an inadequate amount of food and were living in an unsuitable and unsafe environment due to the conditions located on the property
Children’s toys are seen amongst the debris found in Joshua Tree, California
The property had no electricity or running water.
Several large holes and mounds of trash and human feces were located throughout the property.
Approximately 30-40 cats were located inside the trailer and roaming freely.
During the investigation, deputies learned the three victims have lived in the large rectangular box – which was approximately 20 feet long by 4 feet high by 10 ft wide – for approximately four years.
The victims were found to have an inadequate amount of food and were living in an unsuitable and unsafe environment due to the conditions located on the property.
Children and Family Service responded to the location and took custody of the three victims.
Deputies located a travel trailer, which appeared to be abandoned, and a large rectangular box made of plywood on their property, according to a release from the sheriff’s department
Several large holes and mounds of trash and human feces were located throughout the property