WISE COUNTY, Tex. (KXAS/NBC) – The arraignment of the two adults charged in connection with the discovery of four severely malnourished and neglected children took place Wednesday morning.
Paige Harkings, the mother of all four children, and Andrew Fablia, the father of one of the children, each face four counts of child endangerment. Harkings faces an additional charge of aggravated assault.
Bond was set at $15,000 for each charge; Fablia is being held on $60,000 bond and Harkings on a $75,000 bond.
The children—ages 5, 4, 3 and 1—were discovered by deputies Tuesday morning when they were called to the property to investigate a domestic dispute and heard the children’s voices.
Two of the children had been locked in a dog crate.
The children were malnourished and covered in filth, despite a locked refrigerator full of food inside the barn.
Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin said, “If not for the diligence of those deputies and taking it beyond the norm and recognizing that there were children inside that house that were in need, those children would still be in that situation, and would have been for days, if not weeks to come. So we’re just glad to know that last night, those kids were able to sleep in a clean, warm, and safe environment. That they’re being fed and that they’re being cared for. And that CPS is looking out for them and their future.”
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