Two boys found locked in a filthy room surrounded by flies and a soiled mattress were found after a neighbor spotted one dangling out of a window, Ohio police say.
Bodycam footage released by Toronto cops shows the moment one officer discovered the youngsters, aged just two and three, in the room on Friday.
Police sergeant Derrick Piatt, who was first on the scene, told WTOV: 'Deplorable conditions. It's probably one of the worst houses I've even been in. Several hundred flies were inside.'
The boys' mom, Marcisha Ortiz, 27, is said to have left her children at home unsupervised and without food when she headed to work at 5am. They had not eaten since Thanksgiving evening, police said.
Bodycam footage released by Toronto cops shows the moment one officer discovers the youngsters, aged just two and three, in the room on Friday. One boy is naked and appears malnourished, left, while a second boy is seen in the fetal position in just a red t-shirt, right
Police sergeant Derrick Piatt, who was first on the scene, told WTOV : 'Deplorable conditions. It's probably one of the worst houses I've even been in'
Neighbors had alerted the authorities after seeing one boy dangling out of the second story window. He had been throwing clothes onto the street below, they said.
The bodycam clips shows as one officer climbs a ladder to the room. As he reaches the window one of the two boys comes into sight.
He is naked and appears malnourished while a second boy is seen in the fetal position in just a red t-shirt.
Pictures from inside the home show the filthy conditions they had been kept in.
The door to the bedroom the boys were kept in was locked from the outside, meaning they were trapped in there.
Handles were tied shut with extension cords.
Ortiz has been arrested and faces charges of endangering the welfare of children and possession of drugs.
When asked by police about her actions Ortiz is said to have not replied.
A police spokesman said: 'She didn't give us any reason. When asked why she just looked at us and stated she didn't know.'
Sergeant Piatt added: 'She was more worried about what was going to happen to the cats and spiders that she had as pets.'
He told WTRF: 'When I first went inside the bedroom, I realized this was going to be bad. I immediately got sick to my stomach.'
The children are now in the custody of Child Protective Services.
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