VINTON COUNTY, Ohio — Four adults are in custody after authorities removed 16 children from a home on Ohmer Street in Vinton County on Tuesday, with Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson on scene for what he described as one of the worst conditions he has encountered in his career.
Each of the four adults arrested faces 17 counts of felony child endangerment, according to officials at the scene. All four were home at the time investigators executed the search warrant and surrendered peacefully.
Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson, who was present for the search, did not mince words describing the conditions found inside the residence at 182 Ohmer Street.
“I’ve been doing these cases for a long time, and I can tell you this is pure evil — what we saw down here today is pure evil,” Wilson said.
Wilson called it one of the worst environments he has encountered in his career — a notable comparison given his background. Wilson served as a lead prosecutor in the first trial stemming from the Rhoden family massacre, a case that ended in eight life sentences and was described at the time as the worst mass homicide in Ohio history.
A MAP OF THE HOME:
Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain said multiple agencies responded to assist, including emergency medical services from neighboring Jackson County. Vinton County is Ohio’s smallest county by population. Wilson said that Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has been briefed on the situation.
Two of the 16 children removed from the home were airlifted to Level I trauma hospitals, officials said. The children range in age from 1 to 18 years old.
“We will tell you some of the children are in serious condition,” Wilson said.
The Vinton County prosecutor said investigators were initially unable to obtain names for many of the children because of the emotional state they were in at the scene.
“Conditions you cannot imagine people being in, let alone children,” the prosecutor said.
The four people arrested were identified as Gary Siders Sr., Gary Siders Jr., Christina Siders and Elizabeth Siders. The prosecutor said the Siders family is not native to Vinton County and had relocated to the area. Officials offered few additional details about the family’s background.
“They have been traveling, but that’s all we can say at this point,” the prosecutor said.
Wilson declined to say whether additional victims are suspected and moved to head off speculation about the nature of the case.
“To snuff out rumors, this is not a human trafficking ring,” Wilson said, alluding that investigators do not believe the children were victims of kidnapping.
Wilson said the decision to prioritize medical care over a lengthier on-scene investigation reflected the severity of what responders found.
“Their medical condition was so severe, medical professionals and law enforcement were so concerned that the number one priority was just to get the kids to safety and to a hospital,” Wilson said.
Officials would not say whether the 16 children removed from the home are all related to one another or to the four adults arrested. Wilson also declined to detail the specific nature of the children’s injuries, citing the ongoing investigation, and said Tuesday’s search warrant represented only “the public-facing portion” of a broader probe.
“Justice will be served for these kids,” Wilson said.
The four defendants are scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. in Vinton County Court.
