The couple, who live in the 900 block of Dayton Street, surrendered to police around 1:50 a.m. Friday. No court date or bond has been set yet for the Lattas.
Hamilton resident Charles “Eddie” Webb was walking his dog when he found the girl shivering, wet and alone in an alley near the corner of Dayton Street and 9th Street on Tuesday. The toddler was wearing a wet onesie and she had no coat or shoes on, according to reports. Webb told the Journal-News the little girl was also holding a cup of beer that had a bug in it.
When officers arrived at the girl’s home at 913 Dayton St., they found four other children living there. The home, they said, had no electricity or running water and an inadequate food supply. Police also said they found a five-gallon bucket of feces in the bathroom alongside a full toilet.
Animal feces was littered throughout the residence, according to a police report. Police said the home is unfit for habitation and the five children, four of whose ages were not released, were removed and placed in the care of Butler County Children Services. The toddler was transported to Cincinnati Children’s Liberty Campus for a medical exam before also being handed over to Children Services.
“That baby could’ve died or gotten kidnapped or maybe walked down the street and got hit by a car,” Webb said, noting the child’s fingers were so cold they’d turned red and her diaper was wet. “It’s ridiculous; it’s horrible. How could you not know a baby that young is not in the house?”
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