Edmond woman arrested for keeping children in dirty house

<br>EDMOND, Okla. (AP) _ Two children found living with their mother in a house described by officials as ``filthy'' have been placed in a youth shelter, officials said. <br><br>Cynthia Ann Spaniol,

Saturday, September 29th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

EDMOND, Okla. (AP) _ Two children found living with their mother in a house described by officials as ``filthy'' have been placed in a youth shelter, officials said.

Cynthia Ann Spaniol, 43, was arrested on complaints of child neglect after police found her 9-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son living in a maggot-infested house with no food, said Glynda Chu, a spokeswoman for Edmond police.

Spaniol posted bail and was released Friday from the Oklahoma County jail, a jail official said.

Officers went to the house on Thursday night to investigate a 911 hang-up call, Chu said. The children were alone while their mother worked the midnight shift at the OU Medical Center.

After getting permission from Spaniol on the telephone, officers entered the house to check on the welfare of her daughter.

The responding officer said he smelled a ``very foul'' odor when he approached the only working door in the back of the house. He said in his report that the front door lacked a knob and could not be opened.

When he entered the house, the officer saw about a foot of trash, dirty clothes, dirty dishes, rotten food, soiled tampons, human and animal feces, maggots and insects covering the floor, the police report said.

The officer reported that he was ``unable to see any portion of the actual floor.''

He reported that the toilets were filled with urine and feces, there were no sheets on the children's beds, and there was no edible food or clean dishes in the house.

The refrigerator did not work and its contents were covered in maggots, flies and a black syrupy substance, the police report said.

The garage also was in the same condition, and was home to three opossums, according to the police report.

Spaniol arrived home while officers still were at her house.

She told them that she had ``lived there for five years and is a single parent and is aware of the condition of the home and has tried to clean it up,'' according to the police report.

A dog and three cats that appeared malnourished were removed from the house by animal control.