MESA, Ariz. — Katrina Johnson and Brandon Edwards of Mesa have been arrested on three counts of child abuse for the neglect of their three daughters.
Investigators found that the children were living in a home full of trash, with a toilet "filled to the brim with human feces," no running water, and little to no edible food.
In interviews with police, the couple said they knew the conditions were neglectful and they'd been spending money from Katrina's mother on drugs instead of on feeding their children.
Initial investigations
The investigation began on Feb. 20, 2022, when deputies with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office responded to a welfare check at the couple's home.
A caller reported that the three little girls had been going to a neighbor's house for food and water, officials said.
According to the MCSO's report, deputies found that the home was full of trash, and called the MCSO Special Victims Unit to investigate.
In an interview with investigators, Katrina told detectives that the children were enrolled in an online school, and she "would take them to Brandon's mother's house a few times a week to bathe."
Brandon, meanwhile, told investigators that Katrina was homeschooling the children.
The investigation found that the children had been dropped from their online school, and reports said Brandon's statement had been proven false.
The conditions of the home
According to the MCSO, investigators obtained a search warrant so they could photograph the inside and outside of the home.
There they found "excessive amounts of trash" throughout the home, as well as more shocking conditions.
The home was without running water, there was little to no edible food, and the toilet had been "filled to the brim with human feces."
When investigators interviewed the little girls, one said she was often hungry because Brandon and Katrina couldn't afford to buy food. She told authorities that her older sister would go to their neighbor's house for food and water.
Records from the Arizona Department of Education showed that two of the children had been enrolled in school at some point.
However, the third daughter had never been enrolled in an Arizona school, officials said.
In their report, the MSCO said that Katrina "admitted allowing her children to live inside the home in its current condition was neglectful."
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Funding the neglect
In the initial interviews, Katrina had told investigators that the water to the home was shut off due to "preexisting fines" on the home.
But when investigators reached out to the City of Mesa, they found that the city doesn't hold fines against a property. Those preexisting fines wouldn't apply to a new person moving into the home.
Previously, Brandon had told investigators that he was employed for 20 years with Club Red in Mesa.
However, officials said that the Arizona Department of Economic Security had no employment information available about Brandon. According to the same records, Katrina had been unemployed since late 2020.
Brandon's mother, Karen, shared some insight with 12News into her son and Katrina's circumstances.
Overall, she shared how broken up she was over the details in the MCSO report. Karen said she's devastated about the entire situation and added that despite the serious allegations, her son is a good father and provider.
"My heart's breaking. He may not have been a perfect father but he made sure that my grandbabies were always fed and always had a roof over their head and that's why they ended up in that house," the grandmother said.
When investigators interviewed Katrina's mother, they found that she had been sending Katrina thousands of dollars.
Officials said that a total of $2909 had been sent to Katrina, and Katrina had told her mother the money would pay for rent, car repairs, utilities, and food.
In a second interview with Katrina, she admitted that she frequently used that money to buy drugs instead of food for her daughters.
Medical reports found that the three children were underweight when they were taken into custody.
Karen told 12News she was shocked by the claims in the MCSO reports and claims she wasn't aware of any recent drug use.
"I just don't see her doing that either. I love them, but they need to do what they've got to do, to fight to get the babies back," she added.
Known abuse
During her first interview, Katrina told investigators that she and Brandon had moved their children to the home because they "had no other options."
The girls were taken to the home of Brandon's mother to bathe a few times a week, Katrina said.
Officials said that Katrina admitted it was neglectful to let the little girls live in the home under those conditions.
Investigators found that the home's conditions were unlivable for anyone.
Over the course of the investigation, authorities found that in addition to using money from Katrina's mother to buy drugs, the couple had declined an offer from Brandon's mother for the girls to stay with her at her home.
When asked why the children weren't enrolled in school like she said they were, Katrina told investigators that it was "bad choices and even pure laziness."
Both Brandon and Katrina are facing three felony counts of child abuse and three counts of contributing to the dependency of a minor.
Their court hearing is scheduled for August.
Relatives say the girls are currently in foster care and enrolled in school.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Tres niños de Mesa fueron rescatados por vivir en condiciones deplorables, los padres fueron arrestados
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