Say What Now? Couple Accused of Keeping 3-Year-Old Naked & Unsupervised in Shed Without Power for Weeks

The parents of the toddler, as detailed by Law & Crime, are currently being held in Douglas County Jail on charges of second-degree child cruelty after their arrests on Monday, June 2.

Sarah Elizabeth Pombert, 34, and Joseph Matthew Turner, 35, were accused of leaving the toddler to live in what was described in their arrest warrant from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office as a “dirty living space in a shed without running water or electricity.”

The span for the charges includes the weeks between May 1 and May 22, though it’s possible the toddler endured more than what was covered. The child was also described as left “unsupervised, unbathed, and unclothed with criminal negligence” during this span.

They are accused of causing “cruel/excessive, mental/physical pain” to the boy, as detailed in the Miami Herald.

Speaking with local ABC affiliate WSB, a neighbor believes that a fire on the property is what ultimately triggered the investigation that led to the arrests.

When WSB’s reporter arrived on the scene, the aforementioned shed was nowhere to be found. Speaking with neighbor Matthew Govoni, he explained, “The structure is gone. It’s not there anymore. I know there was a huge fire with explosions.”

WSB was able to confirm that the fire department investigated a fire at the home neighbors said the couple have lived in for more than a decade over the Memorial Day weekend, which came just after the weeks cited in their May 29 arrest affidavit.

Upon discovering the details of how the toddler was allegedly living in the shed outside, Govoni told the outlet, “With the lifestyle they live, I’m not surprised by any of that, really.”

He did note, though, that on the occasions he saw the boy outside, the child looked happy. “I’m saddened for them and the child, but I mean, for the child, I hope they can get to a place where they can be helped,” he added.