Police in Washington state saved five children from a potentially deadly situation at the hands of their parents. Nicole Gebron, the biological mother of all five kids, and Zachariah Edwards, the biological father of three of them, lived inside the SUV with the children and three dogs. Photos of the family’s vehicle reportedly show their belongings stuffed inside among trash and drug paraphernalia. The kids, 5 to 15 years old, allegedly lived in the trunk area with the animals.
Law enforcement has taken the children to a safe place where they will receive the care they need to heal both physically and emotionally. Sadly, it seems their mother believed she was the victim, sharing that view in a scathing social media post weeks before her arrest.
Police responded to a call near SE Mill Plain Boulevard and NE 104th Avenue, according to court documents obtained by KATU. A concerned person called police and claimed they saw someone “naked and shivering and seemed to be malnourished as one could see the child’s bones,” the report noted. All five children appeared malnourished and were only partially clothed, despite the cold.
When police arrived, the scene shocked them. In his report, Vancouver Police Department Sgt. Zachary Ripp called the living conditions “atrocious.” Tragically, Gebron reportedly told police the 5-year-old child was partially blind, deaf, and lived with cerebral palsy, per KATU. The mother said she lost the child’s feeding tube and had been bottle-feeding the child for more than a year. Police reported all five children tested positive for fentanyl, and three had methamphetamines in their system.
In addition to the family, three dogs lived in the car. “Animal Control assisted in removing the three dogs from the vehicle. Two were extremely underweight, and the third had an untreated open tumor, and sadly needed to be put down,” police wrote in a news release.
Police arrested Gebron, Edwards, and a third individual named Corleone Lewis. The three face multiple charges, including child endangerment and drug offenses.
Not long before Gebron’s arrest, she posted a curse-laden rant on social media to her “fake a– family.”
“ALL YOU KNOW ABOUT ME IS RUMORS BECAUSE YOU NEVER TOOK THE TIME TO HELP OR GET TO KNOW ANYONE IN MY FAMILY! HAVE FUN WITH YOUR FAKE A– LIVES! ITS F—–G SO SAD THAT MY OLDEST DAUGHTER CRIES BECAUSE SHE CANT TALK TO HER BROTHER BUT NONE OF YOU KNOW THAT BECAUSE NONE OF YOU TRY TO KNOW ANY OF MY KIDS INCLUDING TRENT! YHE ONLY REASON YOU DO IS BECAUSE OF ME TELLING HIM TO GO WORK WITH Nathan! ” she wrote in her post. “You all should be ashamed cause GOD don’t like cheaters and ugly right! Lol f— all of you!”
In a follow-up post, the Vancouver Police Department thanked the public for assistance in providing a fresh start for the five children who desperately need one.
“Many foster youth in our community have experienced circumstances similar to those faced by the children in this case. Items donated will not only support them, but will also be distributed to other local kids in need,” the police shared in the post.
Our heart breaks for these kids. No one picks their parents or the life they lead. But if you can’t afford children, don’t keep having them. No one should subject children to a filthy, drug-infested vehicle. They deserve a chance at a better life, and it sounds like the community has committed to helping them get there.
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child) or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
