2 guilty of child endangering

4 sisters taken from home because of poor conditions

6/26/2014

James Jenkins

A West Toledo couple was found guilty of child endangering Wednesday after their four daughters were removed from their custody because of “unsanitary conditions.”

At their arraignments, James Jenkins, 42, and Kimberly Jenkins, 41, of 4029 Kingsbury Ave., pleaded no contest Tuesday in Toledo Municipal Court before Judge William Connelly.

The judge found the pair guilty, and then released them from the Lucas County jail on their own recognizance.

They are to be sentenced July 14. At sentencing, the couple is required to provide the court with photos of their home, according to court records.

The girls, ages 9, 11, 13, and 15, were removed from the West Toledo home Tuesday night, according to court records. Toledo police Sgt. Joe Heffernan said the girls are being cared for by their maternal grandmother.

Lucas County Children Services is investigating, said spokesman Julie Malkin. Ms. Malkin said the children services agency had no prior contact with the family.

Ms. Malkin declined to expound upon the conditions of the home. A Toledo police report was not available. The Toledo-Lucas County Health Department had no information about the home, said spokesman Stacy DeBruyne.

It was not known what prompted the police visit to the Kingsbury Avenue home.

Lucas County Canine Care & Control officers also were called to the home Tuesday night, said director Julie Lyle. There was one dog in the house that, Ms. Lyle said, appeared to be “in decent shape.” It would be up to the Toledo Area Humane Society to follow up on conditions inside the home, she said.

Humane Society Director Gary Willoughby said Wednesday the agency had not yet been contacted about the case.

Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins were released Wednesday from the Lucas County jail. Attempts to reach them at home were unsuccessful.

The front enclosed porch was strewn with trash Wednesday afternoon. A dog was barking inside.

Lucas County Children Services authorities said they can’t provide information on how often they remove children from homes because of unsanitary conditions because that data cannot be extrapolated from their computer system.

Staff writer Alexandra Mester contributed to this report.

Contact Taylor Dungjen at tdungjen@theblade.com, or 419-724-6054, or on Twitter @taylordungjen.