Police: Homewood woman arrested for housing 2 infants, puppy in 'deplorable living conditions'

Two infants were taken into protective custody after, police say, officers found them living in “deplorable” and unsafe conditions in a Homewood home on Monday.

A malnourished puppy was also removed from the house on Mt. Vernon Street.

Pittsburgh police charged Franshauna Chevi Batron, 37, with endangering the welfare of children, resisting arrest and neglect of animals.

According to a criminal complaint against Batron, officers went to the home in the 7400 block of Mt. Vernon Street after Batron reported a violent domestic event. Police said they found her standing outside, manic, irate and yelling while holding the 5-month-old infants, a boy and a girl.

Police said they found Batron’s oldest son, whose age was not provided, inside. Police said he told them that he and his mother had gotten into an argument.

As the son was preparing to leave, police said officers noticed the home was uninhabitable for children. According to the complaint, police saw mice and rat droppings, holes in the walls and ceiling and bottles containing urine inside.

Police said the son told them that the infants sleep in the same bed as Batron, and officers saw mice and rat droppings directly below the bed. The son said that the water had been shut off for about two years and there was no heat, according to the complaint.

Asked about her living situation, police said, Batron told them the urine bottles were there because the water pipes had broken three weeks prior.

Police said they also found food scraps, condiment bottles and garbage all over the floors, along with wet stains on the carpet. They found moldy food in the kitchen and spoiling food in the refrigerator, which police said was covered in mold and had mice and rat droppings inside, according to the complaint.

When a Children and Youth Services team arrived to evaluate the home, police said, Batron came out holding the male infant and said she was leaving. Asked about the girl, police said, Batron told them she was asleep inside, leading them to believe Batron was going to leave her unattended.

Police said they checked the boy and found he had a rash under his right arm and his clothes were soaked in urine. After being told to put her hands behind her back, Batron tried to pull away from officers, who had to use force to handcuff her, according to the complaint. She was taken to the Allegheny County Jail.

Police said Children and Youth Services more thoroughly checked the infants. Their diapers were found to be soaked with urine and filled with feces, their clothes were soaked in urine and they appeared to have open sores, according to the complaint. No clean clothes or diapers could be found in the home, police said.

The infants were taken to UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh for further evaluation.

After noticing a dog cage with feces inside, an officer began whistling and heard a dog whimpering, according to the complaint. The puppy was found covered in feces in a room with a large amount of feces and urine on the floor, the complaint said. It had no food, water or bedding, police said.

Animal control was notified and removed the puppy, according to the complaint.

Batron was arraigned Tuesday and released on a nonmonetary bond. Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 29 before Magisterial District Judge Kim Berkeley Clark.