Background: Big Sandy Regional Detention Center in Paintsville, Ky. (Google Maps). Inset: Virginia Lynn Fernow (Big Sandy Regional Detention Center).
A Kentucky mother has been taken into custody following a disturbing welfare check at her residence, revealing shocking living conditions. Virginia Lynn Fernow, a 26-year-old from Louisa, now faces charges of criminal abuse and endangering the welfare of a minor. Local law enforcement, responding to concerns at her home, discovered her two young children, aged 2 and 4, living in appalling conditions.
According to a report from Mountain Top Media, officers from the Louisa Police Department were dispatched to conduct a welfare check last Friday. Upon their arrival, they were immediately struck by a repulsive odor emanating from the house.
Fernow met the officers at the doorstep, engaging in conversation on her porch. During their exchange, she mentioned an incident where her 2-year-old daughter sustained a burn on her back from a heater. Fernow admitted to attempting to treat the injury with diaper rash cream but did not seek professional medical assistance.
The officers informed Fernow that they needed to enter the home to assess the children’s well-being. She reluctantly consented, cautioning them about the presence of dog feces on the floor. Once inside, the officers were confronted with numerous areas littered with dog feces and trash, obstructing access and creating a hazardous environment.
The children, when located, were found in a bedroom, unclothed, surrounded by flies and insects. Fernow allegedly confessed to neglecting the cleanliness of her home for four to six months, exacerbating the dire situation.
When police finally found the children, they said both of them were in the bedroom without any clothes on and surrounded by flies and insects. Fernow allegedly said she had not cleaned the home for four to six months.
Fernow was arrested on Friday and charged with criminal abuse of a child and endangering a minor. She is being held at the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center on $5,000 cash bond. Her next court date is scheduled for Nov. 19.
Police did not release information about where the children were taken following Fernow’s arrest.
