HARRISBURG, Pa. – A fire Monday evening leads to the discovery of a couple with five children living in a home in deplorable condition.
Police and firefighters responded at 8:19 pm to a fire at 83 A N. 18th Street. The fire itself was limited to the third floor of the home. Neighbors told police that the family living there got out of the building and fled the area.
Once the fire was extinguished, firefighters did a walk through and quickly discovered that the building was unfit for human habitation. The only heat source in the home were multiple electric space heaters. Trash was scattered throughout the home and the entire building had an overbearing stench of rotting food, trash and bodily fluids.
On the second floor officers saw fecal matter smeared on most of the walls of the second floor and urine was stored in soda bottles. It was later determined that the toilet did not work. On the third floor officer observed a heater that was placed near a mattress which started the fire.
At about 4 pm today, 27 year old Joivanna Gonzalez-Santana arrived at the city police station to be interviewed regarding the incident. She did verify that she lived at the residence with Nephtley Negron-Rosario, 27, and her five children. She stated that after the fire started the family fled because Negron-Rosario was wanted in Cumberland County for criminal charges.
Children and Youth were notified, came to the station and interviewed Gonzalez-Santana. She told case workers that the children were at a friend’s residence. Officers and Children & Youth workers went to that location and took custody of the five children.
Gonzalez-Santana was arrested and arraigned on three counts of Endangering Welfare of Children.
Negron-Rosario has not been located. Police say he is the father of two of the children. A warrant was issued for his arrest charging him with Endangering Welfare of Children, and Indirect Criminal Contempt.
Anyone having any information on this is asked to contact Det. Schriver at (717) 255-3183 or email jschriver@cityofhbg.com, or Sgt. Kyle Gautsch at (717) 255-3170 or email kgautsch@cityofhbg.com.
Anyone with information can also call the Dauphin County Police dispatch at (717) 558-6900 and ask for a City detective.
