Children found locked inside feces-filled room, police say

ST. LOUIS (First Alert 4/Gray News) - A mother and father were arrested after police said their two children were found locked inside a feces-covered room in St. Louis.

Court records show David Croft, 31, and Desiree Ching, 32, are each facing two first-degree charges of endangering the welfare of a child.

Documents say that on Monday, officers were called to an apartment building after someone saw a child hanging out of a 14-story window.

Officers entered the apartment where the child was seen hanging from after they knocked and received no response. No adults were inside the apartment.

Inside the apartment, officers found a room with an exterior latch, ensuring it could only be opened from the outside, court records state.

Two children, 5 and 3, were inside the room that was covered in feces, according to court documents.

A broken window was found inside the room, with a 14-story drop.

Court documents state it was clear the children had been locked inside the room with the broken window for several hours.

Croft and Ching both said they are the children’s parents and live in the apartment unit.

Ching is being held at the St. Louis City Justice Center without bond. Croft was taken into custody without bond, according to a warrant. On Monday, a judge reduced his bond, stating he had left the children in the care of Ching while he went to work that day.