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A 25-year-old mother, Kiana Messier, and her boyfriend, Thomas Madera, are facing charges after police found three malnourished children inside a Brooklyn, New York home. The New York Post reports that officers also discovered a 3-year-old boy tied to a bed with a sweatshirt. The couple was allegedly sleeping in another room while this happened.
The children, including two girls, a 6-year-old and a 10-month-old, were left unattended until their mom’s boyfriend’s cousin arrived. She eventually called the cops after finding the kids at a Linden Street apartment in Brooklyn on Tuesday, April 1.
The little ones were later taken to Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, and doctors confirmed they were stable. The 3-year-old boy had swelling on his wrists, but doctors expect all three to survive.
Police arrested Kiana Messier and Thomas Madera. Messier faces charges for second-degree assault, endangering the welfare of a child, and second-degree reckless endangerment. Madera faces charges of second-degree assault, endangering the welfare of a child, second-degree reckless endangerment, and second-degree unlawful imprisonment. At this time, it is unknown if they have obtained lawyers or what their sentencing might look like.
According to ABC7NY, neighbors expressed shock after hearing about Kiana Messier and Thomas Madera’s arrest. Neighbor Jose Lopez mentioned that he often felt the need to check on the kids after allegedly hearing them say they were hungry.“There were times I did hear the kids screaming or saying that they were hungry or thirsty,” Lopeztold ABC7.
He also added that when he saw it, it didn’t seem as if they were being taken care of properly.
“They didn’t really look like they were getting fed properly or being properly addressed. Because there were times where I’ve seen them leaving back to the Bronx and only the 6-year-old had a jacket,”Lopez explained.
