Tuesday, January 3rd 2017, 6:00 pm
Two children found wandering alone, barefoot and in the cold are now safe, and their parents are in jail.
Tulsa County sheriff deputies said it was about 40 degrees when they found the children outside with no jackets Tuesday morning. They said it’s a wonder the children are doing as well as they are.
The parents - Matthew Brown and Stormee Campbell-Brown - are facing charges of child neglect and possession of drug paraphernalia.
As deputies escorted them, in cuffs, from the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office, the father had no shoes or a coat and the stepmom didn’t have a coat either, much like how deputies found their two children.
Corporal Eric Anderson with TCSO said, "That neighborhood is a two-lane street with cars parked on either side, and the kids were walking in and out of cars.”
Around 9 a.m., someone called to report the children.
Deputies said at 3 and 4 years old, the children aren't able to safely navigate the streets or be alone at any time. They also weren't able to tell deputies where they live.
The 3-year-old girl and 4-year-old boy were walking down the street, just a few blocks from their home. They didn't have on any shoes or a coat, so by the time police found them they were shivering.
Neighbors were eventually able to point deputies in the right direction.
Deputies found out the kids got out through an unlocked door.
"On the second floor of the garage we found Matthew and Stormee Brown asleep, surrounded by drug paraphernalia,” Anderson said. “They were very asleep. We had to work pretty hard to get them awake."
The corporal said this is never acceptable.
"We say we'll do anything for our kids, well anything involves fighting through the drug addiction that they are battling, and that's an uphill battle for anyone, but when you bring kids in the mix it's time to get help," he said.
Deputies said it'll be up to DHS to determine where the children will go.
They said the children were hungry, but, overall, they are doing fine.
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