Bucks County officers recognized for helping 7 children found living in squalor
Officials told Action News the seven children, who are now healthy and flourishing, live out of town.
SELLERSVILLE, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Three law enforcement officers in Bucks County were recognized on Wednesday evening for their role in saving seven children found living in deplorable conditions last year.
"This is the perfect example of the lasting impact an officer can have on a person's life," said Paul Dickinson, the chief of the Pennridge Regional Police Department.
In April 2023, Officers Mark Rosenfeld and Nick Windfelder, of Pennridge Regional Police, responded to a trespassing call at the Green Top Trailer Park in West Rockhill Township.
When they arrived, they found two girls, ages 12 and 14.
"The two children we met originally were really thin, and they were in an abandoned trailer trying to find a blanket for their pet rat," Rosenfeld told Action News.
The officers said they then spoke with the girls' parents, Shane and Crystal Robertson.
Because they felt something was off, Rosenfeld asked to see inside their trailer.
"He actually more or less insisted on getting into that trailer, which is where we saw the padlock, and ultimately it's where we made our case out of," said Windfelder.
Officials described the conditions inside as unsanitary and unsafe. They said the refrigerator was padlocked and there were feces on the floor.
The Bucks County District Attorney's Office provided images of the trailer.
Dickinson said the animals inside were taken care of, "while the seven children were essentially living in a dilapidated shack with feces on the floor and on one shared mattress."
When the officers returned later that day with Bucks County Children and Youth, the seven children, ages two to 16, were taken into protective custody.
While in custody, it was determined the children were malnourished and not attending school.
Detective Richard Dean then got involved in the case, and Dickinson said he began to do a deep dive into the family's history.
The Robertsons were arrested and charged with child neglect.
Last week, they were sentenced to up to 16 years in state prison on those charges.
"It feels good that the children are going to have a safe life and that the parents paid for what they did," Rosenfeld said.
On Wednesday evening, the officers and detectives were recognized for their intuition and dedication. They said they are just relieved those seven children will be OK.
"We send people to jail all the time. That's what we do. That's the basics, what we're used to as a cop," Windfelder said. "To know that you changed the life of seven kids, that hits a little more deeply in this line of work."
Officials told Action News the seven children, who are now healthy and flourishing, live out of town.
Per the sentencing, Shane and Crystal Robertson cannot have contact with their children until they turn 18 and only with the approval of a court-appointed therapist.
