A Salkum woman was arrested on criminal mistreatment of children and animal cruelty charges on Wednesday after Lewis County Sheriff’s Office deputies found three children and several dogs living in unsanitary conditions while responding to a call, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.
The call was initially reported as a dispute at 7 a.m. on Jan. 29.
Deputies were dispatched to a residence in the 2000 block of Spencer Road in Salkum and, while they were investigating the original call, deputies “discovered three children and numerous small dogs living inside the residence in extremely unsanitary living conditions,” the sheriff’s office stated in the news release.
“In addition to observing animal feces throughout the inside of the residence, five deceased dogs were found,” the sheriff’s office said.
Child Protective Services subsequently responded to the scene and took the three children into protective custody, according to the sheriff’s office.
“Deputies are investigating criminal mistreatment of the three children and Lewis County Animal Control officers are conducting an investigation reference animal cruelty,” the sheriff’s office stated in the release.
The children’s mother, identified by the sheriff’s office as Alisa M. Kleppen, 44, of Salkum, was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail for third-degree criminal mistreatment and second-degree animal cruelty at 1:25 p.m. on Jan. 29, according to jail records.
Charges have been filed in Lewis County District Court and her bail is set at $25,000.
“This case remains active and anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to call the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office at 360-748-9286 or Lewis County Communications at 260-740-1105,” the sheriff’s office said Thursday in the news release.
