Lang
1/19/25
More charges have been filed and another arrest has been made in a Washington County child endangerment case.
In December, Washington Police officers removed two toddlers and two older children from a residence at 615 South Marion Avenue and placed them into the care of the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services.
Inside the residence, officers located 24 dogs, one deceased dog, one deceased bearded dragon, one deceased hedgehog and four cats. The interior of the home had animal feces and urine on the floors. Officers located trash piled waist high in the basement of the home and were told that a pipe had burst earlier in the year, causing sewage to seep into the basement.
Officers arrested and charged 35-year-old John Zaiss and 37-year-old Heather Egbert with four counts each of Child Endangerment. If convicted on all counts, they each face a maximum of eight years in jail.
The animals were taken to PAWS and More Animal Shelter.
Washington Police now say 58-year-old Teresa Richmond, who was also residing at the home at the time of the search warrant, has been arrested and charged with four counts of Child Endangerment, seven counts of Animal Neglect, three counts of Failure to Provide Current Rabies Vaccination and three counts of Failure to Dispose of a Deceased Animal.
In addition, Egbert has now also been charged with fourteen counts of Animal Neglect, nine counts of Failure to Provide Current Rabies Vaccination and three counts of Failure to Dispose of a Deceased Animal. Zais had additional charges of five counts of Animal Neglect. He entered a guilty plea on Thursday, although terms of the plea deal have not been released.