Feces, rotten food and rashes: Child’s living conditions result in parents’ arrests

Editor’s note: This story contains descriptions of a child’s living conditions that may be upsetting to some readers. Discretion is advised.

IDAHO FALLS — An investigation by Idaho Falls Police and the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare resulted in felony charges against two local parents after they found a 3-year-old had severe rashes, poor hygiene and was living in deplorable conditions.

According to court documents, on Jan. 29, authorities visited a home on the 300 block of East 17th Street after a referral by IDHW when a 3-year-old boy was seen with severe rashes on his groin and inner thighs.

The officer, along with personnel from IDHW, reported that the home was littered with garbage and scrap. Two vehicles were also observed behind the home.

They contacted the parents, Jessica Marie Blair, 35, and Joshua Charles Foster, 35, and asked where the child was. They were told he was “in the car.”

The car was one of the vehicles behind the home, where an extension cord was seen running from it to the home. A space heater was plugged into the car.

Inside the car, the boy was found in the rear seat, wearing a T-shirt and a diaper, and visibly dirty. It was later learned that he spent most of his time in the car, in a car seat, which led to rashes on his body.

A dog was also seen walking over the child.

A person who was not related to Blair or Foster was inside the car with the child and spoke with the officer. The individual said that the child’s daily routine involved being placed in the car or at home.

An inspection of the home took nearly three hours, during which investigators said they found that the home had a strong odor of rot, a thick layer of filth and cigarette butts.

The kitchen had a broken refrigerator, and the food inside was rotten or infested with insects. A cabinet, with no doors, had cleaning supplies accessible to the 3-year-old, according to court documents.

Before inspecting the 3-year-old’s room, investigators found the living room had one space heater. Blair said the heater was the sole source of heat and that they also used the stove top to heat the home.

The room of the child was reported to have had a large pile of animal feces and urine, with multiple animal and dog beds within it. A queen-sized bed had stains and fecal matter.

Blair told the officer she owned three dogs and three cats.

During the inspection of the home, the officer said neither Blair nor Foster attempted to check on the 3-year-old boy.

During the check, the officer said the child’s T-shirt was soaking wet, and the diaper was falling apart. It was assumed that the child had worn the diaper for multiple days.

The car seat itself was also found to be wet, and the seat below was stained.

The child was removed, and a returned visit was conducted on April 9.

Blair, Foster and the other individual told the officer they had been working hard to clean the home and regain custody of the boy.

The officer reported that there was more feces on the floor than on the prior visit, and the odor remained. When asked about the clothing the child was wearing, the officer noted that Blair could not pinpoint a single item as the child’s.

There were also more animals inside the home, and there was no power.

The document details that since 2013, Blair has had multiple charges in the past involving animal cruelty that have resulted in the removal of other children.

One of the reports states that 33 animals were removed from a home of less than 900 square feet.

Blair and Foster are scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing at 1 p.m. on May 1 before Magistrate Judge Wiley Dennert.

Though they have been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean they committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.