Overview

• Charles Dupriest and Azyia Zielinski each face six counts of child neglect, and both made initial court appearances on Friday, September 19.
• Dupriest also faces a felony firearm charge after police recovered a loaded gun from the SUV where the parents were found sleeping.
• Firefighters cut a padlock to reach the children around 1:33 a.m. on September 16, finding ages two months to nine years in a unit with no electricity, water, or toilet beyond a bucket.
• Zielinski told police the children had been living in the storage unit for about six weeks, and a nine-year-old said he cared for his five younger siblings when the parents were away or drinking.
• The children are in Child Protective Services custody as investigators review additional details, including facility staff concerns and Dupriest’s 2010 sexual-assault conviction noted in the complaint.