Dashja Turner, Racine, Wisconsin mom holes up her 5 kids in a basement, starving them and depriving them of bathroom, schooling and access to their fathers.
How? A Wisconsin mother faces five counts of child neglect causing great bodily harm after five children, ages 14 months to 14 years, were rescued from a basement with no access to food or toilet in Racine.
Police arrested Dashja Turner on July 31 when officers joined CPS for a welfare check after the landlord reported five children were in the basement.
Cops found the five kids in the unfinished basement with no food, no bathroom, exposed wooden stairs and one light with a pull cord. One window was covered with purple paint, FOX6 reported.
14 year old teen girl weighed only 54 pounds
Prosecutors say four children were found on a twin-size mattress, and Turner and a fifth child were found in an adjoining room. Purple paint covered every window. A criminal complaint described the children as ‘frail, lethargic, and unkempt.’ Social workers took custody of the children, and they were taken to Children’s Wisconsin.
Prosecutors say the children were severely malnourished. At least one had signs of physical abuse, while another told investigators they got a ‘whopping with a belt’ from a man who stayed in the basement with Turner.
‘There’s complete neglect and abuse; no food, completely malnourished children basically washing away and in the .01 percentile in the weight that they should be,’ said Brooke Erickson, Racine County assistant district attorney.
A report via WISN told of one of the fathers to two of the five children, a seven year old and eight year old boys being repeatedly rebuffed by the mom when asked by the well being of his sons and whether he could take the brothers. The siblings according to the complaint were found only wearing socks.
Turner’s 14 year old daughter had never seen a dentist according to the complaint, with the teen’s teeth discolored, yellow and gray with significant plaque build up. The 14 year old weighed just 54 pounds. The average weight of a 14 year old girl is 105 pounds.
Judge agrees with state’s request for $1M bond
According to the criminal complaint, Turner denied neglecting the children, saying they used the upstairs bathroom, and she bathed them using soapy water from a bucket.
The mom claimed they ‘eat the basics,’ listing various foods, but police said none of those items were found at the home when the children were detained. She said medical conditions related to the children being malnourished were ‘genetic.’ She also denied any physical abuse, prosecutors say, saying the injuries were caused by kids fighting. The complaint says she also told investigators the kids were home schooled. The elder children had not seen any professional educators in ‘several years.’
Turner made her initial appearance in court on Thursday, Aug. 10 with her defense attorney requesting a $1000 cash bond.
‘The absolutely abhorrent conditions that these children were in warrant $1 million cash,’ said the DA.
The court commissioner agreed with the state’s request and set cash bond at $1 million, WISN reported.
‘It’s just really, really sad for everybody involved,’ said John Bjelajac, Racine County court commissioner.
