A Pennsylvania mother is in jail after police said she left one of her children outside in only a towel, and her other children were found unattended in a filthy house.
A woman who was passing by the Pittsburgh house called 911 when, according to police, she saw a 3-year-old girl standing on the sidewalk with only a towel covering her, WPXI-TV reported. It was around 9 a.m. and 35 degrees outside.
When the woman walked the little girl inside the house, she saw a baby sitting on the couch alone.
The house is where investigators said Stevatezia Mickel was living with her three children: ages 1, 3 and 6 years old.
After about 10 minutes, Mickel returned home.
Officers searched the house and reported an "overwhelming odor of urine and feces in the residence."
Police said the floors were covered in dirt and feces, as well as most of the walls in the rooms and hallways. The baby's diaper reportedly hadn't been changed in hours.
There was also very little food in the refrigerator, including chicken that expired in January.
Police told WPXI-TV the three children are in protective custody.
Mickel's preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
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