A father of three has been arrested and a court date set for him to face child neglect charges after his 18-month old daughter was found locked in a dog kennel covered in faeces, and his four-year-old son was found naked and screaming in the street.
William Todd Lewallen, 47, was arrested at his Oklahoma home on Sunday after a concerned neighbour phoned the police when he spotted the little boy outside
Bodan Jacobs told radio station KOTV that he heard the boy crying "Daddy, I'm cold and scared; I'm cold, I'm scared daddy," and called the authorities.
Tulsa Police Department's Leland Ashley said his colleagues rescued the boy and then spotted the 18-month-old girl locked in a dog cage in the house. She was naked and covered in faeces.
Having kicked the door down to gain access to the child, the police then found another naked girl - said to be aged three - in a bed with William Todd Lewallen passed out next to her.
The dad reportedly told the police that he had taken medication and had 'laid down to take a rest'. The police found an open beer next to him.
Tulsa Police
The children were put into the care of the authorities, and their father was arrested for child neglect and put on a $50,00 bond. He will appear in court later in the month.
The police said their mum was not a suspect in the case.
Tulsaworld reports that Lewallen has been cited in eight crime cases in four counties and was on probation until December 2013 after a second-degree burglary conviction. In August, he was given a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to intent to manufacture methamphetamine.