Man Jailed After Police Find 5 Malnourished Kids Living Among Bugs, Feces and Rotten Food

A 33-year-old man is behind bars after police found five malnourished children living in squalid conditions at a far northeast Dallas apartment.Officers were called to a residence in the 9600 block of Walnut Street, near Audelia Road, around 2:20 p.m. Tuesday after someone had reported that a baby had been crying for a long time.According to an arrest-warrant affidavit, John Moton yelled "What do you want?" through the door after officers knocked and turned the doorknob. He then told officers there were five children inside and everything was OK.When Moton did open the door, officers could tell in just three seconds that the apartment was filthy and reeked of feces, the affidavit says. They could see four children, but when Moton was asked about the fifth he came outside and shut the door behind him.Police said Moton would not identify himself or any of the children, and he went in and out of the apartment several times. On the third time, the affidavit said, he walked out carrying a child.Moton would not put the child down, officers said, and took an "aggressive stance" while clenching one of his fists. One officer was able to grab his wrist while the other got the child.The affidavit says Moton continued to ignore the officers' orders and tried to pull away while keeping one hand at his waistband. One of the officers used a stun gun on Moton when he refused to move his hand, and they handcuffed him.Once inside the apartment, officers reported finding "deplorable" conditions — noting that the stench of feces and rotting food made it difficult to "walk through [the unit] without vomiting." The lights were out, and there was no air conditioning, the affidavit says.In the living room, officers found three of the children on a couch surrounded by feces. A pit bull was tied up to a fireplace several feet away. The remaining child was in a crib, wearing a soiled diaper.Officers also reported finding:feces and rotten food in a downstairs bathroomrotten food in a bed upstairsa makeshift playpen in one bedroom closetblankets, covered in rotten food and insects, arranged as a bed in another closetrotten food — and no edible food — in the refrigeratoran empty pantryroaches, flies and gnats throughout the apartment  Continue reading...