Washington Parish Parents Arrested For Cruelty To Juveniles

Two Washington Parish parents have been arrested on charges of cruelty to a juvenile. Chief Deputy Mike Haley with the sheriff’s office says they received reports from a concerned citizen that two children were being mistreated. He says when deputies looked into the complaint, they were shocked by what they discovered.

“Dirty clothes were strewn throughout the house. Unwashed pots and pans were stacked up throughout the kitchen, and there was food laying out throughout the kitchen. Some of the food was obviously very, very spoiled,” Haley said.

Haley says 28-year-old Jessie Hoyt and 26-year-old Kayla Hoyt lived in the home with their two children. He says during the inspection of the home, deputies also determined the children were not being properly cared for.

“They were not being fed on a regular basis. They were not being bathed on a regular basis, and during the day they were often being locked in a bedroom so that their parents could sleep during the day,” Haley said.

Haley says deputies called the Department of Children and Family Services to the home, and the children were taken into state custody. He says they are relieved the children have been removed from this terrible situation.

“This is a deplorable situation. It sickened out deputies to go in there and find the house so absolutely nasty and children just totally neglected,” Haley said.