911 Call From Father Of Abused, Neglected Wise County Children Released
RHOME, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - A couple from Wise County remain behind bars Friday after being charged with child abuse when their four children were found malnourished, two of which were in dog kennels.
The Wise County Sheriff's Department released a 911 call from the father that led to the discovery of the children and the arrest of the parents.
The dispatcher asked Andrew Fabila what the location of the emergency was.
It was hard to make out Fabila's responses but he was calling to report a disturbance.
"I have a break in," Fabila told the dispatcher.
He didn't give his address, however.
"Do you not know your address?," the dispatcher asked.
"It's off the county road off of (unintelligible)," said Fabila. "Uh it's in the shop."
In the 911 call, a woman believed to be Paige Harkins, tells from the behind the phone.
"He locked the door," said the woman.
The dispatcher asked for the address again.
"He won't let me get my (expletive) out," said the woman.
Eventually, the 911 operator managed to ping the phone where the call came from in Wise County and dispatch deputies, but not before asking if the couple was drunk.
"I've drank about five beers, she's had about two or three," said Fabila.
According to an affidavit, when the deputies and a state trooper got to the location off of 125 and County Road 4930, the couple tried to run back inside the shop building they lived in but were stopped.
After police questioned the couple, they went in to check on the children and found that one child was wrapped in a blanket lying on a heating pad.
Two children were locked in a canine kennel.
The fourth child was in a pack-n-play bed.
According to documents, food was found inside the residence. However, the refrigerator and pantry were secured where children were unable to access any food and appeared to be malnourished.
Harkins and Fabila are charged with several counts of abandoning and endangering a child.
Child Protective Services set a hearing for Feb. 27 to decide what will happen with the children.