Six Children Found Locked in Putrid Storage Unit in Milwaukee

Police in Milwaukee arrested two people after officers found six children locked inside a storage unit last Tuesday, according to court documents. The discovery began when someone reported hearing a child crying from inside a locked unit near 27th and Silver Spring. Responding officers said the noise and a child coughing prompted them to call the Milwaukee Fire Department to cut the padlock.

Once the door was opened, officers found children ranging in age from a 2-month-old baby to a 9-year-old. The children were living in a space with no electricity, no running water, and only a small sliver of light showing through a crack in the door. Authorities described the smell inside the unit as so putrid that officers could not stay inside even with the door open.

‘We’re not supposed to be loud.’

The unit contained a couch and a twin mattress without bedsheets and very little food beyond a box of chips, a carton of milk, and a case of soda. Police say the only sanitary option the children had was a bucket. The oldest child told investigators that the parents locked them in and that he was tasked with watching the baby without any reliable way to contact the adults in an emergency.

The children identified the parents as 33-year-old Charles Dupriest and 26-year-old Azyia Zielinski, and both were arrested after officers located them sleeping in an SUV in the storage lot. The pair reportedly told officers they were homeless and had been sleeping in the vehicle with their dog. They later admitted the children could have stayed with family members but had not done so.

Zielinski told police the family had been living in the storage unit for about a month and a half and that they had been trying to secure housing for several years. She also said they received aid from federal and local programs, including Women, Infants, and Children benefits, food stamps, and roughly $2,000 in Social Security. Officers reported that the parents claimed they had been kicked out of a rescue mission after giving birth, though a representative for that organization disputed the account.

Police described a unit in disarray and dirty to the point of being hazardous, noting that there was no functioning bathroom and no source of heat or power. The scene suggested prolonged neglect rather than a temporary emergency, according to investigators. Those findings led to immediate criminal charges against both adults.

Both Dupriest and Zielinski face six counts of child neglect, while Dupriest also faces a charge of criminal possession of a weapon. The children were taken into protective custody while authorities worked to place them in a safe environment and investigate the full circumstances. Court officials say the case will move through traditional child welfare and criminal channels as investigators sort out housing claims and prior interactions with social services.

When Zielinski appeared in court, the commissioner sharply questioned both her and Dupriest about the children’s welfare and living conditions. “We have your children stating that they had no food, that the only food they found was from the garbage. They didn’t have a bathroom. They used a bucket,” the commissioner said. “And what’s more disturbing than all of that are the statements that both you and father had made that you and the children could have stayed with family members.”

The case raises broader questions about homelessness, access to services, and how families fall through the cracks of support systems. Prosecutors will weigh the criminal neglect charges alongside social service records and any evidence of prior interventions. Advocates say preventing situations like this requires better outreach, clearer pathways to emergency housing, and robust child welfare monitoring for at-risk families.

Authorities did not disclose whether other family members were contacted or whether child protective services found viable relatives to care for the children. Investigators will review records, interview witnesses, and examine any history of housing applications or shelter stays. Meanwhile, the legal process will determine whether the prosecution can prove neglect beyond a reasonable doubt.

Neighbors and storage facility staff described shock and concern after the rescue, saying they had not realized children were living in the unit. Community members often notice signs of neglect only when situations escalate to emergencies like this one. Local officials say they hope the arrests lead to a full accounting and to steps that prevent future harm.

As the case proceeds, prosecutors and social workers will handle separate but related responsibilities: criminal accountability and ensuring the children’s short- and long-term safety. Court dates and further hearings are expected as the investigation continues and evidence is assembled. For now, the focus remains on the children’s recovery and on tracing how the family reached such dire circumstances.