Middletown couple faces charges after police find holes in walls

Melanie and Christopher Todd are now in custody at the Butler County Jail, facing multiple charges of child endangerment and animal cruelty. Their arraignment is set for this Thursday.

The arrests followed a welfare check on Sept. 29. Middletown City Schools contacted police after two 10-year-old students reported looking dirty and going without food. The children also told officers that two cats had died inside the house.

When police arrived on Cardinal Court, they described the living situation as deplorable and unlivable. One of the four children told detectives that large holes in the walls and floors appeared after the parents punched surfaces during angry outbursts. The openings were wide enough to see the outdoors.

Investigators found almost no edible food in the residence. Floors were covered in dirty clothes, trash, animal feces, and general debris. The home was infested with bedbugs and cockroaches.

Officers removed all four children and placed them with other family members. They also took the remaining four cats, pet fish, mice, gerbils, and pet tarantulas out of the house. The criminal complaint lists four counts of child endangerment and several counts of animal cruelty for both Todd and Todd.