Turley couple arrested and charged with child neglect after their home was found full of trash and feces

Tulsa County deputies arrest a Turley couple on child neglect charges after officials said the couple’s two grandchildren were living in utter filth.

Investigators say Michael and Elizabeth Fisher’s home was full of trash, feces, spoiled food and cockroaches.

“You can’t imagine an animal living like that, let alone a human being,” said Deputy Richie Gonzales of the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators say these living conditions are beyond deplorable. They say the house hasn’t had running water for at least five years. Officials say the couple’s 10- and 12-year-old grandchildren have lived there for more than a year.

“It literally looked like someone had taken a city landfill, dumped the trash on the property and dumped it into the trailer,” Gonzales said. “There was dog feces on the floor in the house, garbage was piled so high that it blocked the paths that were very narrow just to get from one end of the residence to the other.”

Deputies say there were dirty clothes and dishes everywhere, the refrigerator was filled with old food and roaches, and there was no water for the toilet or bathtub.

Deputy Gonzales was investigating allegations of abuse involving Fisher’s son, who is a vulnerable adult, and when officers searched the home based on that case, they found the two children living there.

“Their grandchildren are children and it seemed like the animals were better fed. There was dog feces on the floor,” Gonzales said.

Gonzales learned there was an ongoing DHS investigation, but said that when DHS workers tried to enter the home, they were not allowed inside.

He’s glad the officers saved the children, but says that doesn’t make cases like this any easier.

“What happened to these children in this home is our responsibility. It belongs to all of us as a community. “I think when we see what’s happening, it’s about being considerate of our neighbors, and if so, those at school, if that’s a school official,” Gonzales said.

Both Elizabeth and Michael Fisher are in the Tulsa County Jail on child neglect charges. Officials say the children are safe with a family friend.