MODESTO, CA - It was a scene not so different from ones shown on the "Hoarders" TV program.
Modesto police entered an abandoned house on the east side of town Thursday to find conditions described by one officer as "horrid and unsafe" with human feces and garbage littering the place. There was a 3-year-old child living inside along with John Oliver, 39, and his girlfriend, Angelica Madrigal, 40. The relationship between the adults and child wasn't made clear.
The child was put into the care of Child Protective Services.
Madrigal and Oliver were arrested for endangerment and illegal lodging, said Sgt. Rick Applegate. Officers investigating neighbor complaints about the house believe the pair moved into the abandoned residence on the 700 block of West Union Avenue after the owner died. There was no water, electricity, garbage or sewer service in the home.
Applegate said officers also found uncapped needles strewn about the place.
News10/KXTV