Officers could smell it coming from outside of the apartment.

Over in Waco, Texas police were called to an apartment at Towne Oaks Apartments on Sanger Avenue. When police showed up, they could smell a horrendous odor coming from the outside of the residence. When police walked in, the apartment was covered in animal feces. Dishes and old food covered the countertops. Cat litter was scattered throughout the apartment on the floor.

Police say the three children, all under the age of five, appeared to be sleeping on a futon surrounded by animal feces which was easily within reach. Waco Police Department Spokesman Sergeant Patrick Swanton called the conditions "deplorable."

The three children have different fathers. Two of the three were placed with Texas Child Protective Services and the third was picked up by the father, police said. Pauline Jo Essix was arrested Wednesday night and charged with three counts of abandoning/endangering a child, a state jail felony. She remained jailed Thursday in lieu of bonds totaling $9,000, according to jail records.

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