SCRANTON, Pa. — We are learning more about the deplorable living conditions that were allegedly ignored by Lackawanna County Office of Children and Youth Services caseworkers as government officials and neighbors are speaking out.
On Tuesday, police arrested Amy Helcoski, 50, of Scranton, Sadie O'Day, 34, of Scranton, Bryan Walker, 51, of Eynon, Randy Ramik, 59, of Clarks Green, and Erik Krauser, 45, of Dickson City.
Authorities said county workers falsified reports and failed to intervene in situations involving children in need.
Court paperwork indicates the defendants allowed children to live in deplorable conditions and filed fake reports with the agency.
Neighbors took photos of filthy living conditions inside a home on Madison Avenue last year. Caitlyn Peoples says she and other neighbors were concerned for the children living in the home.
"All of the kids' clothes were three sizes too big. They were dirty, they were stained. The kids would come over here to eat. There's been many times our upstairs neighbor had to give these kids a bath," Peoples said.
Desirae Onnen says she and others have made dozens of calls to ChildLine and police concerning the children. Neighbors say it was frustrating to watch caseworkers come and go but see nothing change.
"It really made me mad and really upset me to know that the children had to continue to live like that," Onnen said.
"We were screaming for help, and Children and Youth were just like, 'This isn't my problem right now. We have bigger things to handle, this isn't our problem,'" Peoples said.
According to court paperwork, this was one of three cases being investigated by Scranton police and the DA's office that led to the raid of the Lackawanna County Office of Youth and Family Services late last year.
About two weeks after police discovered the conditions on Madison Avenue, police found a woman dead in a bedroom of an apartment on Capouse Avenue. Police reported it to caseworkers and learned there were numerous complaints regarding this family between 2014 and 2022.
In November, animal control was called to an apartment on Vine Street for reports of more than a dozen cats. The animal control officer reported to police poor living conditions with three children in that apartment.
Caseworkers had been assigned to that family dating back to 2012, and still, nothing had been done for ten years.
Last week, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services downgraded the Lackawanna County Office of Youth and Family Services to a provisional license after allegedly not responding to cases in a timely manner.
Lackawanna County Commissioner Chris Chermak addressed the recent arrests and what the county plans to do next.
"I believe the families and children will be best served if the District Attorney's office and Scranton police department are not involved in this matter moving forward," Chermack said.
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