A child’s plea for help sent Scioto County deputies racing to a Lucasville home after a young caller told 911 dispatchers the children in the house hadn’t eaten in two days.
Deputies were dispatched after receiving a 911 call from a child reporting that they were hungry.
Given the possibility that the call could involve neglected children—or be a prank—deputies immediately began investigating.
📞 CHILD CALLS BACK
About 10 minutes later, the same child called 911 again.
This time, the youngster reportedly told dispatchers that the children had not eaten in two days.
Dispatchers were able to obtain a location from the call and sent deputies to a home on Rowe Lane.
🚔 SEVEN CHILDREN FOUND HOME ALONE
When deputies arrived, they found seven children inside the residence ranging in age from 3 to 16 years old.
No adults were initially present.
According to the report, a 7-year-old admitted to making the calls.
Deputies also reported seeing an adult male run from the area as law enforcement arrived.
👀 DEPUTIES CHECK THE HOME
The report notes that communication was difficult because the children spoke limited English.
A 16-year-old gave deputies permission to walk through the residence while they checked on the children’s welfare.
Because of the nature of the complaint, Children’s Services was immediately contacted and dispatched to the scene.
👩 MOTHER ARRIVES
A short time later, the children’s mother arrived at the residence.
Deputies remained on scene while Children’s Services workers interviewed the family and evaluated the situation.
After completing their assessment, CPS advised deputies that the children would remain with their mother.
Law enforcement then cleared the scene.
❓ WHAT REALLY HAPPENED?
One unanswered question remains.
While a child admitted making the 911 call, it remains unclear whether the initial claim that the children had not eaten in two days originated from inside the home or whether there may have been confusion during the call.
Authorities did not announce any criminal charges.
⚠️ WHY OFFICERS TAKE THESE CALLS SERIOUSLY
Calls involving children reporting hunger, neglect, or being left alone are among the most serious welfare checks deputies handle.
Even when the facts turn out to be different than initially reported, officers must treat every call as legitimate until they can verify the children’s safety.
In this case, a child’s call about being hungry brought deputies, dispatchers, and Children’s Services together to make sure seven children were safe.
And that’s exactly what happened.
