Glendale couple accused of keeping kids in home with 'insect infestation'

Arizona couple accused of child abuse

A Glendale couple is in custody for allegedly keeping their kids inside a home that was covered in human waste in some places.

PHOENIX - Police in Glendale say a couple is accused of child abuse, after officers made a rather unexpected discovery inside their home.

What we know:

In court documents, the two suspects have been identified as 41-year-old Arthur James Jackson, Jr. and 26-year-old Sara Jessica Jackson.

Investigators say on the afternoon of Jan. 29, Glendale Police officers responded to a home in the area of Bethany Home Road and 67th Avenue for a welfare check, after a child was seen standing in a window with no clothes on.

Police say when officers arrived, Sara answered the door, and they later found two children - a 6-year-old and a 4-year-old - at the home.

Dig deeper:

Court documents contain descriptions of what the officers allegedly saw in the home.

"Patrol officers observed what they believed to be dried feces in the 6-year-old's hair," read a portion of the court documents. "Officers observed flies swarming inside and outside the apartment, an insect infestation, and feces on the walls/floors in the living room."

The two children, investigators said, were naked at the time officers were at the home. When asked about weapons, Sara said there were two handguns and an AK47 in the apartment.

"Officers located a 9mm handgun under the pillow on the bed where the children were playing. The magazine was loaded, and the chamber was empty," investigators wrote.

Investigators said Glendale Fire crews later went to the scene to evaluate the two children, and both were taken to a hospital for further evaluation.

What they're saying:

Investigators said they interviewed Sara after she was read her Miranda rights.

"[Sara] acknowledged there is feces on the walls and floors. She advised the 4- and 6-year-old boys are not potty-trained, and do not like use the porta potty in the bedroom. Sara said they put a gate on the bedroom because her 6-year-old son started pooping on the floor, and he likes to throw his feces," read a portion of the court documents.

When asked why she didn't clean up the human waste, Sara, according to police, said "I'm a bad mom. Sometimes I'm overwhelmed, and I don't have motivation."

In court documents, Sara was also noted as having stated that Arthur, who is her husband, "doesn't say anything about the conditions of the home or the children."

Investigators also note that, per Sara, the children have not attended school or gone to a doctor since they were born. They also say the four-year-old is non-verbal, while the six-year-old cannot speak in complete sentences.

Documents state that after Arthur returned home from work, police read Arthur his Miranda rights, and during a subsequent interview, he said he "works a lot and doesn't have time to scrub the apartment," while acknowledging the state of the home, saying that it started around Christmas.

Officials also said that inside the Jackson home, the "kitchen and living room had walking paths with personal belongings stacked five to six feet high, consistent with a hoarding situation."

What's next:

Both Arthur and Sara are accused of two counts of child abuse, per court documents. A judge has set a $25,000 bond for Arthur and Sara, each. The two are set to have a preliminary hearing on Feb. 9.

Arthur James Jackson Jr. (left) and Sara Jessica Jackson (right)

Area where the incident happened