Couple arrested on child endangerment charges

TYLER — Smith County Sheriff’s Office deputies found four children inside a residence that was “extremely dirty.” According to our news partner KETK, Katelynn Schengeli, 26, was arrested Wednesday and charged with four counts of child endangerment. Cory Evans, 27, the father of twin girls and an 11-month-old infant involved in this incident was charged with four counts of child endangerment. On Wednesday, around 10:10 p.m. deputies were called to a home on Rhones Quarter Road to help with an EMS call. An 8-year-old child had called because his mother was unresponsive. Schengeli appeared to be under the influence of alcohol, said law enforcement.

EMS informed deputies they saw an 11-month-old infant screaming in a crib next to Schengeli’s bed. The infant was covered in feces. Officials later heard screaming in another part of the residence. They found 4-year-old twin girls locked inside of a room, and there was a large safe blocking the door. The child that was screaming was begging deputies for water. The other child was sleeping on the floor without clothes, next to a dirty diaper.

Investigators were notified of the situation, and a deputy contacted Child Protective Services so they could remove the children. Law enforcement noticed the living conditions inside the mobile home were “extremely inadequate for children,” said the sheriff’s office. Officials also said the house was extremely dirty and each of the rooms had a potent odor of feces. The twin girls and the 11-month-old infant appeared to be in poor physical shape and malnourished. The 11-month-old was the size of an infant between 3-6 months old, said law enforcement. CPS removed the children from the home. The infant and the twins were transported to UT Health for a medical evaluation.