SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. (WTVR) - Two parents were arrested and charged with Felony Child Neglect after Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Deputies rescued their two children from the roof of their townhouse.
The Tuesday morning rescue began shortly after deputies were called to the Wakeman Dr. home.
"Upon their arrival, the deputies made entry into the home, bypassing several concerned citizens who had gathered and were trying to coax the children back into the home," Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Capt. Jeffery Pearce wrote in an email. "Senior Deputy Ridings was able to retrieve the children through the open window while Deputy Spillman contacted the parents, who were sleeping in another room."
The children are two and three years old, investigators said. There was also a nine-month-old baby left unattended in a playpen.
Michael Gillikin, 26 and Nancy Gillikin, 27 were arrested on four counts of Felony Child Neglect, Pearce said. Their children are now in the custody of Child Services.
"The home was found to be in disarray and not suitable for children to reside in," Pearce wrote. "The Gillikins were previously arrested in 2010 for Felony Child Neglect; however the charges were later reduced to misdemeanors. They had two children at the time and Mrs. Gillikin was pregnant with their third child."
