Connecticut mother charged after leaving four children in squalid apartment for hours

VERNON, Conn. — A 40-year-old mother has been arrested after police found her four children living in appalling conditions inside a Vernon apartment, which officers described as filled with trash, human and animal feces, and rotting food.

According to an arrest report filed on November 8, Lindsey Powell allegedly left her children, ages 11, 6, 4, and 3, alone for at least eight hours while she traveled to upstate New York. Authorities were alerted to the situation after a welfare check was requested at the apartment.

Upon entering, Vernon Police Officer Gregory Webster reported being overwhelmed by a “burning stench” and finding a scene so filthy it was “difficult to stand.” The report detailed piles of trash, moldy food, fly swarms, and bodily fluids scattered throughout the home.

“The living conditions in the apartment were deplorable,” Webster wrote, describing human and cat feces on the floors and a living room so cluttered that it was nearly impossible to walk without stepping on debris or liquids.

Powell reportedly told authorities she abandoned her children because she felt “overwhelmed” and “depressed.” The children were removed from the apartment and placed in the care of child protective services.

Powell faces multiple charges, including risk of injury to a minor. Her case is ongoing, and further details about potential court proceedings have not been disclosed.