Child found in ‘unlivable’ home
A Russellville woman was arrested on Thursday after Franklin County Sheriff’s deputies discovered “unlivable” conditions in her apartment where she lived with her two-year-old daughter.
Christy Hallman, 25, 514 Van Buren St., S.W., Apt. 1, Russellville, is charged with one count each of chemical endangerment of a child and endangering the welfare of a child, Franklin County Sheriff Shannon Oliver said.
According to Oliver, deputies were searching the apartment initially because they received information that 36-year-old Percy “Bud Earl” King had been staying there.
Oliver said King, who is from Phil Campbell, had escaped from a court-ordered rehab facility in Anniston more than three months ago.
Oliver said when they received the information that he could be in the area at Hallman’s apartment, they went to follow-up on the tip.
“When the deputies entered the apartment, they said they were immediately met with a ‘smog’ that appeared to be coming from spray paint cans and rags that are normally used to ‘huff’ the pain to get high,” Oliver said.
“They said there were nearly 100 used bottles of spray paint lying on the floor throughout the apartment along with dirty diapers, used toilet paper, piles of trash and dog feces.”
Oliver said the deputies reported the smell inside the apartment was overwhelming and the conditions were definitely unlivable.
“They said within minutes of being inside the apartment, several of the deputies started to get headaches because of the chemical smell from the paint and the other smells in the home,” Oliver said.
“I don’t know how they stood being in there, let alone the two-year-old little girl who was being subjected to those filthy conditions.”
Oliver said while they were searching through the home, the deputies did locate King, who was hiding under a pile of trash.
He was arrested on the first-degree escape charge and is being held in the Franklin County Jail.
Hallman was released on bond Monday.
Oliver said the Franklin County Department of Human Resources took custody of the two-year-old child.
