4 young kids found in ‘extreme unsanitary conditions’ at South Boston apartment

By Peter Eliopoulos

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    BOSTON (WCVB) — Public officials in Massachusetts are expressing their disgust after four young children were found to be living in squalid conditions at a South Boston apartment.

First responders were called to an apartment at the Mary Ellen McCormack complex Saturday night after receiving a report that someone had suffered cardiac arrest.

According to authorities and public officials, the children — all under the age of 10 — were found in an apartment with sex toys, drugs, alcohol and six cross-dressing men.

An incident report filed through the Boston Fire Department states the kids were discovered by first responders after one of the adults in the apartment was found dead. Several adults in that apartment were also accused of hiding those children in a back room.

According to the incident report, the apartment was in “extreme unsanitary conditions,” and all adults in the unit were being uncooperative and denied having children inside.

Boston City Councilor At-Large Michael Flaherty said he spoke with the firefighters who responded to that apartment and filed paperwork to make sure the state intervened with the children.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey confirmed the children are now in the custody of the state’s Department of Children and Families, which is investigating the incident.

“It was obviously sickening to hear from those that were there at the scene describing what they saw, and the actions of the adults that were in the room,” Flaherty said. “They were concerned. They had reached out to me just to make sure that it didn’t get swept under the rug.”

“Just heartbreaking. A terrible situation,” Healey said. “DCF has taken those children into its care and custody right now.”

Boston city leaders were seen doing a walk-through at the Mary Ellen McCormack complex. Flaherty said city councilors are planning to hold a hearing with the Boston Housing Authority to determine how a situation like this could have happened.

“The place is disgusting, and this is on BHA,” Flaherty said. “They need to be doing a better job down there.”

In a statement sent to NewsCenter 5, the Boston Housing Authority said it had received no prior complaints about the apartment where the reported incident had taken place. The BHA said it is working with the agencies involved in order to take the appropriate follow-up action. Read the full statement below:

“The Boston Housing Authority is working closely with the Boston Police Department as they continue to investigate the circumstances around the recent death at Mary-Ellen McCormack. BHA received no complaints about activity in this unit prior to the incident, but we care deeply about the safety of all our residents and are working actively with the agencies involved to take all appropriate follow-up action. BHA has a strong partnership with BPD and communicates with them often. The only call BHA received this year about this unit was for a routine maintenance issue in May, which was responded to appropriately at that time.”

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