Owasso Police Describe Conditions Found In Home In Child Neglect Case

A 9-month-old baby was found extremely malnourished, with bed sores and other injuries. Owasso police officers say it’s one of the worst cases of child neglect they’ve ever seen.

They also said the living conditions in the home were deplorable.

The child and her three siblings are now with DHS. Their parents - Aislyn Miller and Kevin Fowler - face child neglect charges and are out on bond.

Owasso police arrested them after Urgent Care workers called the police. The couple had taken the 9-month-old child in to be looked at for a list of problems.

Deputy Chief Jason Woodruff said, "It was pretty obvious to the medical staff, and the officers who responded, it appeared as though she had been neglected pretty seriously."

12/10/2016 Related Story: Owasso Police Sergeant Describes Child Abuse Case As Worst He's Ever Seen

Police said the nurse said the child "looked like a skeleton" and reported seeing a maggot crawling out of the baby, severe bed sores, and diaper rash.

Police responded to the Urgent Care, then, visited the couple’s home.

"It was in pretty poor condition as well - a lot of clutter and animal feces and things like that inside the house," Woodruff said.

Police said the couple lives in a house with four children - the 9 month old and a twin, who police say was in similar condition, and two other older children who were in "better condition."

All were taken by DHS.

Pediatrician Dr. Scott Cyrus said neglect has likely been going on for a while.

"When it's really not clean and having difficulty keeping the child clean, that's what causes the skin to break down," he said.

Cyrus said the bed sores reported on the child could have come from sitting in her own waste or pet waste too long.

"When you think about animal feces, food packages not thrown away, all properly, all of those things draw bugs into the home," he said.

Police said the child's mother told them she hadn't taken the twins to the doctor since they were born because she didn't have insurance.

Cyrus said that's not an excuse. He said Sooner Start is available for every child up to the age of three, and even the local health department will see a child for free.