NEWS

Children alone and naked; two adults arrested

Barbara Leader
bleader@thenewsstar.com

Two children were taken into custody of Child Protective Services after police found them playing naked and nasty in the backyard of a West Monroe home.

According to police reports, police responded to a report of two children playing naked in the street, but when they arrived they found two children in the backyard of a home on the 100 block of Linderman St.

Police say the 3-year-old was covered in feces and a dog was licking it off. Two officers reportedly walked the children back into the home through an open door. The other child was 4 years old.

Inside the home, officers said they smelled feces, urine and rotten food, and they saw dirty diapers and feces in almost every room.

Samantha Lynn Clark, the mother of the children, who was asleep in the back bedroom of the home, said she didn't know the children were outside.

Jacob Sikes, who told police that it was his job to watch the children while Clark worked, was asleep in the front bedroom. He also said he didn't know the children were outside.

According to the police report, Clark told police her home was usually neat but became dirty over the past 48 hours.

Both Clark and Sikes were arrested and charged with child desertion.

Follow Barbara Leader on Twitter @barbaraleader1.