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Snellville home condemned, parents charged with child cruelty

A Snellville couple faces child cruelty charges after police find them living in filth with their two teenage sons.

Animal control responded to the home on Pharrs Road belonging to Jacqueline and Gregory Tate after a call about too many cats.

Once inside, Snellville Police were called where they found trash and feces throughout the house, dirty dishes and pans piled high in the kitchen, and no working toilets.

“There was running water, but the toilets were not working,” says Det. Orlando Concepcion. “(When) you open the door to the bathroom… you probably would have suspected a decomposing body was in that house.”

He tells WSB’s Sandra Parrish the boys were sleeping on filthy mattresses on the floor that had roaches crawling all over them.

“There’s no words to describe just the way that house looked and I don’t know how anyone could live in those conditions,” says Concepion.

He says the sons, ages 15 and 17, appeared clean and healthy and go to a local high school.  They told police the family had just gotten lazy about cleaning.

Neighbors are shocked.

Auset Whatley lives across the street and says Jacqueline Tate used to drive her school bus. She can not believe the conditions in which the family was living.

“I could see junk just piled up outside, but I didn’t know it was that bad inside the house,” says Whatley.

The teens are now staying with grandparents and the house has been condemned.

Animal Control confiscated 11 cats inside the home, but say more were roaming outside.

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