Parents arrested after children, disabled man found alone

ATLANTA - Police arrested a couple after they allegedly left three children and a disabled man home alone. To make matters worse, neighbors believe the family was squatting in the house.

According to Atlanta Police, officers responded to the home at the corner of Thornberry Lane and Meadowridge Drive at around 5:30 Saturday evening. Officers said the people who lived at the home had moved out about three weeks ago and had returned to gather more of their belongings. When the arrived, they called 911 to report finding the children and the disabled 21-year-old inside without supervision.

"It appears this family had moved into the home after the reporting parties moved out," police said in a statement to FOX 5 News.

The children, police said, appeared to be fine, but the 21-year-old was so malnourished, paramedics rushed him to Grady Memorial Hospital in critical condition.

Neighbors said they had seen the children playing in the yard, but did not suspect anything unusual was going on.

"When all of that happened, I didn't know what to think," one man said of the heavy police response.  

While officers were on the scene, the children's mother and stepfather, 38-year-old Shalanda Monroe and 33-year-old Jarvais Monroe, returned to the house. Police arrested them and charged them for failing to protect a disabled adult.