There was a smell of urine and feces in the Cobb County house, police said.
The five children in the house, ages 1 to 12, had no hot water or a working air conditioner, and investigators saw children with unexplained bruises, Channel 2 Action News reported.
It all came to light about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday with a 911 call from the father, according to Channel 2.
“My girlfriend is here and she’s trying to attack us,” the caller told 911.
Richard Coolidge and girlfriend Amanda Lufkins, both 34, were fighting in front of the children, police said.
Now they are in the Cobb County jail facing 10 counts of cruelty to children.
Authorities removed the children from the house on Chapelle Court in Marietta after responding to the 911 call.
A neighbor said it was unusual to see the children outside.
“They stayed to themselves,” the neighbor said.
It was not the first visit to the house by officers. Neighbors said they often saw police there due to alleged domestic disputes.
“Some days they were OK,” a neighbor said, “and some days they would not talk to you.”
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