Child, dogs found in room 'covered in feces'

Update April 5Powell now faces additional felony-level charges. Read the update here.Original postPERKINS TWP. — Local authorities found a woman, young child and three dogs in a hotel room "covered in feces" just before 3 p.m. Tuesday.Perkins police arrested the woman, identified as Dezeray Powell, 21, with a misdemeanor-level child endangerment charge.Powell had apparently lived in the room, at the Howard Johnson Inn on Milan Road (U.S. 250), for about 30 days, according to Perkins assistant police Chief Vince Donald.Inside the room, Donald said excrement was "all over the place.""It was on the carpets, the walls, the beds," he said. "It was bad."A Perkins police report made similar observations."The bathroom was literally covered from floor to ceiling with dog feces," Perkins Officer Jeff Briggs wrote.Three female Great Danes were found locked in the bathroom, Erie County Dog Warden Barb Knapp said."The dogs were pretty much skin and bones," said Knapp, who added the dogs did not appear to have any food. "I don't know how long they would have lived that way."The Erie County Dog Warden removed these three dogs from the hotel room's bathroom Tuesday. They are currently being cared for at the Erie County Dog Pound.Knapp described the scene as "one of the worst cases in my 43 years (as dog warden)."Donald said several other agencies — Erie County children services, the Erie County Health Department and the Perkins Township's building and zoning department — were also called to the hotel room.The child, a boy, was taken to Firelands Regional Medical Center to assess his health, according to Donald. Powell was also treated there. She will be booked into the Erie County jail after being released.The dogs are now being cared for at the Erie County dog pound, Knapp said, and a veterinarian will be called to come in and check on their health.Powell could face additional charges, Donald said.More Perkins Police articlesReach reporter Brandon Addeo at brandonaddeo@sanduskyregister.com, follow him on Twitter @BrandonAddeo and follow the Register at Facebook.com/SanduskyRegisterDEZERAY MONIQUE POWELL