Hoarding, children removed from hom Harwinton, CT (US) Incident Date: Friday, Jul 5, 2002 County: Litchfield Local Map: available Disposition: Alleged Alleged: Gwen Godenzi

Case ID: 7755 Classification: Hoarding Animal: dog (non pit-bull), cat View more cases in CT (US) Child or elder neglect Login to Watch this Case

Gwen Godenzi, 42, pleaded not guilty to two counts of risk of injury to a minor and five counts of cruelty to animals. Godenzi was arrested on July 6 after it was reported her home had unsanitary living conditions. She was released on a $500 on-surety bond.

Godenzi was ordered not have any contact with her children. The children were removed from the home on 74 Mountain View Drive by the Department of Children and Families and placed with a relative.

The police visited the home on July 5, and found unsanitary conditions in the home. The report said the authorities, "were overcome with the aroma of animal fees and urine as well as rotting garbage" coming from inside and outside the home.

The beds were soiled and stripped of all linens. Closets had overflowing litter boxes and layers of animal feces. A wall in one of the bedrooms was smeared with animal feces. When the police opened one of the closet doors, four cats ran into the kitchen, they were so hungry they tried to eat the rotting food on the plates in the sink.

There were three foot high piles of garbage found in the kitchen. A dog kept in a room did not have any food or water.

When police visited the home in Nov 2001 they arrested Godenzi's former roommate, Sherril Seavey, 37, after they found Seavey's children alone in the three bedroom home that was littered with animal feces, rotting garbage and five foot high marijuana plants in the backyard. The house had no electricity, little food in the cupboards and maggot riddled food in the refrigerator.

Godenzi said she and the children had been sleeping on the floor in the living room for at least five months. Allegedly the children did not want to sleep in the bedrooms. Godenzi said since she works full time she did not have time to clean the house. Her next hearing in court will be on Aug 15.

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References

The Register Citizen - July 16, 2002

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