An Ohio grandfather who lived in a squalid home where authorities say 16 “almost feral” children were discovered has been freed on bond after prosecutors said his medical needs could place an overwhelming financial burden on the county.
Gary Siders Sr., 73, was taken to a hospital this week after falling while being transported from jail to a preliminary hearing in the disturbing child abuse case, Vinton County Prosecutor William Archer said at a news conference Wednesday.
Hospital testing later showed that “Mr. Siders Sr. has a serious medical condition that requires specialized care in a hospital outside this area,” Archer said. He did not identify the condition or name the facility where Siders was sent.
Vinton County, home to about 12,800 residents, is among Ohio’s poorest counties, with a median household income of roughly $70,000, significantly under the statewide average.
Before his release, Siders Sr. had been held in the county jail on a $300,000 cash bond, alongside his wife, Christina Sanders, 67; his 36-year-old son, Gary Siders Jr.; and his daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Siders, 33.
The four family members collectively face 68 felony counts of child endangerment after investigators allegedly found all 16 children suffering serious physical harm inside the residence on June 30.
Under county jail rules, however, medical expenses for inmates in custody are paid by local taxpayers.
“So the county was going to be on the hook for his medical care and… based on the information we were provided, his medical care could potentially bankrupt Vinton County,” Archer said.
In order to alleviate that “burden,” Archer explained, the attorneys and judge involved in the case decided to change the ailing man’s bond conditions.
Siders Sr.’s new, $300,000 “recognizance bond” will ensure he gets medical treatment — just not on the county’s dime, said Archer — who didn’t say who will ultimately be responsible for the sky-high medical bills.
If he’s released from the hospital, he won’t return to lockup – instead, the state will pay for him to be strapped with a GPS device in order to monitor his movements, according to the attorney and court documents.
“Let me stress – the community is not at risk because of his bond,” Archer said during the news conference.
The prosecutor also highlighted motions recently filed by Siders Sr.’s defense attorney suggesting that he should be evaluated to see if he’s competent to stand trial – and whether he is not guilty by reason of insanity.
The wild-eyed, elderly defendant has shown “significant struggles understanding what the Judge was saying during the [arraignment] hearing, the legal process he is facing, and even basic questions asked of him by the Court,” his attorney, Dorian Baum, wrote in a motion filed Wednesday.
He doesn’t understand the roles of people within the courthouse, including his own counsel – and is unable to maintain a clear and consistent train of thought, Baum argued in the court doc, and suggested her client was “legally insane at the time of the alleged offenses.”
The Siders were arrested after local cops went to their Hamden home to carry out a warrant for an unrelated investigation – and allegedly found the 16 children living inside a cramped 12-by-12 room littered with feces, according to authorities.
The children – who are believed to belong to Gary Siders Jr. and his wife Elizabeth Siders – were taken to hospitals across Ohio following the rescue, some in serious condition, cops said.
The kids, who have never been enrolled in school, can barely communicate – and some cannot speak at all, according to authorities.
The oldest child, 18, is developmentally disabled and unable to even write her name, police said.
Investigators have not yet been able to interview the children, but “they’re all safe and being cared for,” Archer said Wednesday.
The prosecutor couldn’t say when the four defendants – who all pleaded not guilty and waived their preliminary hearings on Tuesday – will face a grand jury.
“The grand jury is a secret process…but we hope to be having information on that within the next couple of weeks,” he told reporters.
“What I will tell you is that this is not Franklin County, who has grand juries every day practically. Normally, Vinton County has a grand jury every other month,” Archer noted.
Vinton County – which covers 415 square miles – is the least populated county in Ohio, with a mostly rural population of roughly 12,800 people. Franklin County, on the other hand, is home to the state’s capital and over 1.3 million residents.
Baum did not respond to a message from The Post.
