Gray Court, South Carolina - A 2-year-old boy remains in
the hospital in critical condition after he was found unconscious in a filthy
home with dozens of dead and dying animals, Laurens County authorities said
Wednesday.
Authorities charged Savannah Victoria Morgan, 25, of Gray
Court, with three counts of child neglect and one count of child abuse and
cruelty to animals, according to arrest warrants.
On Tuesday evening, deputies were called to a home where
they noticed “deplorable living conditions and a foul odor within,” according to an incident report.
Animal Control officers seized nearly 90 animals from the
scene Tuesday night. The list of deceased animals included 48 rats, 11 gerbils,
10 python snakes, six tarantula spiders and two bearded dragons.
Warrants allege Morgan exposed a 2-year-old to physical
abuse, causing the boy to suffer medical injuries such as bleeding in the brain
and bruising to the head, neck and back.
The child was airlifted to Greenville Memorial Hospital,
authorities said.
The boy’s mother originally told deputies that he choked on
some chips and that she called 911 when she went into his room and saw he
wasn’t breathing, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Two other children were taken into emergency protective
custody due to suspected physical abuse, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputies said they saw soiled diapers, clothing, feces,
trash and broken glass on the floor and numerous live and deceased animals kept
in plastic bins and cages. Two emaciated dogs were found chained up behind the
residence and had no food or water, one report said.
Morgan is being held at the Laurens County Detention
Center, where jail officials said her bond was set at $85,000.
