What to Know
- A woman and her boyfriend were indicted in New York City earlier this week for the horrific neglect of her two young daughters, who were found by authorities naked and bruised while locked in a feces-filled room and eating parts of a foam mattress, according to the local district attorney.
- According to Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark, Stephanie Grabowski, 40, and Mark Russell, 45, who were squatters in an apartment on East 138th Street, were indicted on kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment, burglary, and endangering the welfare of a child.
- “The defendants allegedly kept these little girls in a house of horrors," Clark said. "They illegally occupied an apartment and left the children alone without food or clothing. Fortunately, police rescued the girls, and a nurse discovered signs of abuse for which they are being treated. The situation is beyond the pale.”
A woman and her boyfriend were indicted in New York City earlier this week for the horrific neglect of her two young daughters, who were found by authorities naked and bruised while locked in a feces-filled room and eating parts of a foam mattress, according to the local district attorney.
According to Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark, Stephanie Grabowski, 40, and Mark Russell, 45, who were squatters in an apartment on East 138th Street, were indicted on second-degree kidnapping, second-degree unlawful imprisonment, burglary, and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child for what allegedly transpired in May of this year. Grabowski was also indicted on two counts of first degree kidnapping for conduct occurring on or about and between, Nov. 14, 2022 through May 3, 2023 at East 169th Street and the apartment.
The couple was arraigned Monday where bail was bail terms were set. They are due back in court on Sept. 13.
Attorney information for Grabowski or Russell was not immediately known.
According to the district attorney's office, citing the indictment, the charges stem from what transpired last month and even months before.
Allegedly, on May 3, at around 10:30 a.m., the NYPD and Field Intelligence Detectives were vacating a NYCHA apartment at East 138th Street that was inhabited by Russell and Grabowski, who were described in the indictment as "known squatters."
According to the district attorney's office, citing the indictment, the apartment was in terrible condition with urine and feces about the place. There also did not appear to be enough food, amenities, clothing or clean diapers, according to the indictment.
Allegedly, officers responding to the scene apparently noticed that the doorknob of a bedroom and doorknob of an adjacent closet door were tied together with a rope-like cord. When they kicked the bedroom door open, they found two girls naked and bruised "on a filthy sponge-like mattress on the floor, and feces, dirty diapers and garbage throughout the room," the district attorney's office said.
Additionally, one officer saw that the children were eating pieces of the mattress.
Subsequently, it was discovered that Grabowski had a Family Court warrant after absconding from Administration for Children’s Services in November 2022, and brought her to Family Court. Orders of Protection were issued at that time.
The officers brought the children to the Children’s Advocacy Center on May 4 after being discovered where a nurse examined the children and enhanced the case, alerting the NYPD Bronx Child Abuse Squad. On May 5, the girls were examined at Jacobi Medical Center. It was determined that they had significant bruising and marks in various
stages of healing, rashes on their bodies and difficulties walking, standing and speaking.
“The defendants allegedly kept these little girls in a house of horrors," Clark said. "They illegally occupied an apartment and left the children alone without food or clothing. Fortunately, police rescued the girls, and a nurse discovered signs of abuse for which they are being treated. The situation is beyond the pale.”
