The mother and grandmother of a 7-year-old girl found living with them in a house of squalor in Newburyport, Massachusetts, earlier this month will face criminal charges.
A clerk magistrate decided in a hearing in Newburyport District Court on Friday morning that there is enough probable cause to issue a formal complaint and move forward with charges of reckless endangerment of a child.
Thirty-two-year-old Kristin Paquette and her 54-year-old mother Debra Paquette were summoned to court but did not have to appear.
Their arraignment date has not been set.
Photos from 8 Strong St. released by city officials after they condemned the home earlier this month showed filth and garbage. One image even showed a child's bedroom, with not even a mattress on the garbage-ridden bed frame.
"What I saw was horrendous," Newburyport Police Officer Kevin Martin said at the time. "It's just a lot of piles and trash and everything imaginable."
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He said there was only one way in and out of the home, through the rear door. The kitchen counter was covered in trash, clothing and other items.
Police said they were alerted to the house after an anonymous tip to child welfare services. A dog and cat were also removed from the home by animal control.
