Kids Escape Boarded-Up Room Of Milwaukee 'Terrible' Hoarder Home; Mom, Boyfriend Charged

MILWAUKEE, WI — After two children broke through the window of a Milwaukee home described by police as a "terrible hoarding situation" and were later spotted naked in the street, the children's mother and her boyfriend are facing neglect and false imprisonment charges, according to a criminal complaint filed Sunday.

Mother Katie R. Koch, 34, is facing two charges of chronic neglect of a child causing emotional damage, two charges of false imprisonment, and two charges of neglecting a child without specified harm, according to Milwaukee County court records.

Meanwhile, Koch's 38-year-old boyfriend who she lived with, Joel R. Manke, is facing two charges of false imprisonment and two charges of chronic neglect of a child causing emotional damage, court records said.

The situation arose when neighbors of the home in the 100 block of South 71st Street called police after noticing the kids naked outside, according to the criminal complaint. One neighbor told police one of the kids looked like "a caveman" the complaint said. Another neighbor noticed Koch panicking and looking for the children.

When a Milwaukee police officer arrived at the home, Koch appeared "flustered and anxious" and explained that her children broke the window, the complaint said. Neighbors said Koch had dragged one of the kids back inside the house earlier, the complaint said.

The officer made their way into the home, demanding to see the children, when he noticed rooms piled with trash and the smell of urine and feces, according to the criminal complaint.

When the officer reached the children's room, he found more trash and a latch to lock the door from the outside, then feces smeared "all over the walls" of the room, according to the criminal complaint. Meanwhile, Koch denied any physical abuse, gathered clothing for the children and continued to state "I'm so sorry. I'm so afraid."

Police found that the younger of the two children was 7 years old, while the older was 9, according to the complaint. One of the kids was discovered inside the home, while a witness outside pointed firefighters on the scene toward where to find the other child, the criminal complaint said.

The child discovered inside the home had red markings on his back, behind his shoulders and on his lower back, which police said were not indicative of any glass cuts, according to the complaint.

In a later interview with police, Koch confirmed the two children were hers and that they've all been living with Manke for around four years, the criminal complaint said. She explained neither child had been enrolled in school but that she homeschools them and doesn't want them to lose the stability they have, according to the complaint.

Koch told police the boys haven't been to a doctor in a year or two and that they have educational apps on tablets that they use, according to the complaint. The mother said one child can trace letters and read small words while the other is learning how to put sentences together, the complaint said.

Koch said the lock on the children's door has been there for a number of years, the complaint said. The mother ended up writing a three-page apology note to her children, according to the complaint.

Police also interviewed Manke, who said he put boards on the kids' windows to keep them from bothering "the nosey neighbor" and that the door lock was to keep them from wandering because of their "autism," according to the complaint. Manke said "he knew how the children were living was not right but that he had to 'pick his battles'" to avoid arguments with Koch, the complaint said.

One neighbor told police that he used to see the kids outside in their home's yard around three years ago when they moved in, but hadn't seen them since, the complaint said. The neighbor said he also confronted Koch about the boards on the windows "because it was wrong," the complaint said.

According to the complaint, the children's hair had to be shaved because it was "full of matted feces."

If Manke and Koch are convicted, each charge of chronic neglect of a child causing emotional damage could carry up to 15 years in prison time, the complaint said. Each false imprisonment charge could carry six years imprisonment if convicted, the complaint said.

Online court records said Manke posted a $6500 bail on Wednesday and the Milwaukee County inmate locator no longer showed him in custody. He is expected back in court July 26 for a preliminary hearing. A preliminary hearing is also scheduled on July 26 for Koch.