Police: Mom charged, children found in deplorable conditions

BROOKFIELD, Ohio -- (WKBN) -- For the second time in five months, police were called to a woman's house in Brookfield after police say her children were found outside naked and unsupervised.

The first instance was in March when a water department worker called police to report the children outside unclothed, and the second time happened July 29 when a postal worker alerted authorities.

According to a police report, officers responded in March and alerted Trumbull County Children Services about the incident and a case was opened.

On July 29, officers went to the house once again when the postal worker reported the children — a 1-year-old girl, 3-year-old boy and 4-year-old boy — were found outside again, unclothed and unsupervised.

As police arrived, they noted the deplorable conditions of the property, looking in the window and seeing debris piled up like “a landfill,” the report stated. Police also noted that the area around the house was littered with rotten food, trash, toys, tools and other rubbish.

The children's mother, 25-year-old Michelle Metz, met officers outside and said, “I knew you'd be out here when I saw the children in the yard and the mail lady on the phone,” Metz told police, according to the report.

Police said Metz told them that she suffers from insomnia and had to stay awake to get her boyfriend off to work. She said she told the children to wake her up if they wanted to go outside.

Police noted that the children were filthy and a substance was matted in their unkempt hair, the report stated. Police also said the fenced in yard where the children were playing was full of animal feces.