A couple from Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, has been accused of child neglect for keeping their five young kids in horrific conditions. The kids were kept in the basement of the house and were found in unimaginable conditions.
They were covered in insects and feces, with rotting food thrown around them. This had been going on for years. According to the Waukesha County Circuit Court report, the child neglect happened between May 22, 2022, and September 22, 2025.
The accused couple, Karianne N. Lindsey and Christian A. Diaz, were arrested on charges of chronic child neglect. Each of them has 2 counts of chronic neglect and 3 counts of neglecting a child.
The couple allegedly failed to take any responsibility for caring for their kids and put them in physical, mental and emotional danger. According to Fox6 Now, the children are between the ages of 2 and 7. The case came to light when Lindsey’s mother informed the police about the possible neglect and the hazardous conditions in which children were living.
An Oconomowoc couple is charged with chronic child neglect after officers found their children living in dangerous, filthy conditions inside a basement home. https://t.co/Gq3oZ3cqnh
— FOX6 News (@fox6now) November 11, 2025
According to Lindsey’s mother, her daughter has bipolar disorder, and she’s unsure whether Lindsey is currently taking any medication. The police found the kids and the couple in a 2-bedroom basement. Their basement bedroom was filthy and completely uninhabitable.
The officers also noticed several prescription medicine bottles that were easily reachable to the kids, putting them in further danger. The kids also had visible scabs and bug bites, signaling hygiene issues and negligence. When the police enquired the 7-year-old child about a cut on his skin, and he gave a surprising reply, “Yeah. I haven’t killed myself yet.”
His statement reflected how mentally scarred he was from the neglect and living conditions. The prosecutor, Assistant District Attorney Kevin J. Galezewski, explained the case to be one of repeated neglect.
He added, “This neglect case spans years despite multiple attempts at intervention by the CPS and police. The children were found in unimaginable conditions and put at risk of death or great bodily harm.”
nvestigators said the parents had exposed their children to danger for years, living amid feces and rotting food. Galezewski also noted that there were no toothbrushes in the home and that the children had never been taken to a dentist. The parents are each being held on a $25,000 bond and may only meet their children under supervision. They are scheduled to appear in court on December 1 for a preliminary hearing.
