Kentucky police have arrested a mother who reportedly forced her daughters to sleep outside in a makeshift tent. Betty Snider, 34, allegedly made the girls sleep outside because the living conditions inside their home weren't suitable. It appears the mother is a hoarder whose home got out of control and trickled down to her three young daughters, 16, 11, and 10 years old.
One of Snider's daughters arrived at school unwell, prompting Jefferson County Public Schools to call police, WAVE reported. Sadly, it appears family members knew what was happening in the home but didn't know how to help.
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Police arrived at a heartbreaking scene.
According to WAVE, Snider's oldest daughter arrived at school on August 29, dehydrated and malnourished. School officials called the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department for a welfare check. When officers arrived, they reportedly found Snider's two younger daughters living outside with no access to food or water. Sadly, the girls also showed signs of abuse.
The girls told the police their story.
The girls told responding officers they had been sleeping in swings and chairs outside and sometimes inside the tent, according to an arrest record obtained by WAVE. Police reported seeing visible inquiries on the girls and stated they appeared dirty and hungry. They were taken to a children's hospital for treatment.
The mother reportedly admitted to police that her home was unlivable.
According to WLKY, Snider told police she had not entered the home in months because of its condition. The children told police their mother knew they were living outside due to the mobile home's filthy conditions, but it appears she didn't do anything to change the situation. Snider was arrested and charged with wanton endangerment, abandonment of a minor, and endangering the welfare of a minor.
A family member shared her frustration with the situation.
Kaylee Grismer, Snider's niece, told WAVE that the girls had been living outside in the elements since December. She said the girls had no pillows or blankets and were forced to lie down wherever they could to try and rest. Grismer told the news outlet that the girls would often flock to her house when their mother left to get some kind of relief.
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Grismer watched the girls leave in a police car.
She told WAVE it was a sad scene, and the girls were crying for their mother. But she hopes that they will realize that what is happening to them isn't OK as they grow up.
"I know those girls are wise, I know they know what's going on around them isn't right, I know they don't want to end up like that, and I know they're better than that," Grismer said.
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.
