PLUM TWP., Pa. (EYT) — The case against a Titusville couple accused of keeping their two children in ‘deplorable’ conditions recently moved forward.

Court documents indicate that hearings were held earlier this month on charges filed by Franklin-based State Police against 22-year-old Kyle Evan Dobrowolski and 37-year-old Chasity Lynn Bellin, both of Titusville.

The following charges against Dobrowolski were held for court on Wednesday, December 19:

• Endangering Welfare of Children — Parent/Guardian/Other Commits Offense, Felony 1
• Endangering Welfare of Children — Parent/Guardian/Other Commits Offense, Felony 2

The following charges against Bellin were waived for court on Wednesday, December 19:

• Endangering Welfare of Children — Parent/Guardian/Other Commits Offense, Felony 1
• Endangering Welfare of Children — Parent/Guardian/Other Commits Offense, Felony 2

Online court documents indicate that Dobrowolski and Bellin remain lodged at the Venango County Jail on $20,000.00 monetary bail each.

Details of the case:

According to a criminal complaint filed by Tpr. Hagan, on November 9, representatives of the Pennsylvania State Police and Children and Youth Services (CYS) arrived at a residence on Acel Road in Plum Township with a court order to ensure the safety of two children living at the residence.

The complaint notes that CYS previously had ongoing contact with the children’s parents, Chasity Bellin and Kyle Dobrowolski, attempting to get them to comply with safety plans.

According to the complaint, the troopers and CYS representatives found the residence to be in “deplorable” conditions, with water being fed into the house by a garden hose, trash bags containing garbage left throughout the house, and mold and rodent feces observed within the residence.

The complaint also notes the house was being heated with portable electric heaters, with multiple fire hazards present, and a plastic tent-like structure was erected in the house as an apparent attempt to contain the heat.

According to the complaint, the two juvenile victims were not being bathed and were extremely dirty.

Due to the conditions and the concerns for the children’s welfare, both children were removed from the home and taken to UPMC Northwest for evaluation.

The complaint notes that medical personnel at the hospital found both victims to have severe diaper rash and one of the victims had advanced deterioration of the skin in the diaper area. Additionally, one of the victims was malnourished and underweight, and one of the victims had sores/ulcers on the back of the heels apparently caused by being left in one position for too long.

Both of the victims were placed in the care of another their grandmother after being discharged from the hospital.

On December 5, Trooper Hagan of the Franklin-based State Police, checked in with Hope Pediatrics, the victims’ primary care physician’s office, and found that since being placed with another family member, the underweight victim began gaining weight rapidly, gaining 22 ounces in just 11 days, indicating that the victim had the ability to gain weight but had not been being fed properly by the parents.

The complaint notes that medical research studies indicate malnutrition has been found to impair brain development and the sores/ulcers on the back of the victim’s heels were likely to cause permanent scarring.

Charges were filed on Thursday, December 6, in Magisterial District Judge Matthew T. Kirtland’s office.

The case has since been been transferred to the Venango County Court of Common Pleas.