Three Pennsylvania residents are facing serious child abuse charges after a 7-year-old boy escaped what authorities describe as a home filled with “deplorable” conditions, revealing a disturbing case of child neglect and false imprisonment.
Dominic Zungali and Zoe Zungali, both 31, believed to be the boy’s parents, and 18-year-old Gillian Bem, his aunt, have been charged with two counts of false imprisonment, five counts of child endangerment, and five counts of animal cruelty.
The case unfolded on July 18 in rural Blair County, when local resident John Lemon spotted a disoriented child wandering shoeless near a busy road in the Houtz Drive area.
“He was confused, frightened, and looked like he hadn’t bathed in a long time,” Lemon told WTAJ. The child was covered in urine and didn’t speak when asked where his parents were. Fearing for the boy’s safety, Lemon pursued him toward a nearby intersection and eventually flagged down someone to call 911.
When police responded and went to the boy’s home on Cream Hollow Road, they were met with what officers described as “horrific conditions.”
According to an arrest affidavit, Zoe Zungali initially claimed all five children were accounted for — until realizing one had managed to crawl out of a window. Officers entering the home described a strong odor of urine, torn drywall revealing exposed wires, and household items stacked to block access to the children’s bedrooms.
Inside, authorities found children living in cribs that had been zip-tied shut, effectively turned into cages. One toddler was found soaked in urine, wearing soiled clothing and a wet diaper, with no access to clean items or drinkable fluids. Moldy sippy cups and soiled blankets were also present.
In another barricaded room, police discovered more children confined in similar cribs, with feces smeared on the outside. The affidavit notes the children were allegedly confined in these makeshift cages for up to 20 hours each day.
The children appeared severely malnourished, police said. One officer retrieved Happy Meals from McDonald’s, and the children “ate aggressively out of hunger.” One child, approximately 2 years old, had a visibly distended abdomen and purple discoloration in the legs and feet — signs that prompted immediate hospitalization and a transfer to a specialist.
The abuse extended beyond the children. Authorities also discovered multiple neglected animals and animal feces throughout the house. There was no running water, and doorknobs had been removed to prevent escape, investigators said.
The three defendants are scheduled for preliminary hearings on July 31. Dominic and Zoe Zungali are being held on $150,000 bail each; Bem is jailed on $75,000 bond.
Freedom Township, where the incident occurred, is located in central Pennsylvania, roughly 200 miles east of Pittsburgh.
