MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A man and woman have been criminally charged after Milwaukee police located six children locked inside a storage unit. 

Charles Dupriest, 33, and Azyia Zielinski, 26, are each charged with two counts of child neglect and four counts of neglecting a child under 6 years old. Dupriest is also charged with possession of a firearm as a felon.

Discovery of the children

The children, aged 2 months, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 9, were found inside the storage unit near 27th and Silver Spring early Tuesday, Sept. 16. 

According to a criminal complaint, police were dispatched to the area after receiving a report of a child crying inside a locked unit. 

Upon arrival, officers also heard a child crying inside a storage unit, as well as coughing from another child. 

The Milwaukee Fire Department cut the padlock to the storage unit and inside found a bucket containing urine in the middle of the room along with the six children. 

Officials say the only light visible to the children came through the crack of the garage door. 

According to the criminal complaint, the 5-year-old child told a detective, "We're not supposed to be loud." 

The complaint says the 9-year-old child identified Dupriest and Zielinski as their parents. The child said he was responsible for caring for his five younger siblings when his parents were away. The child told detectives, according to the complaint, he stays at the storage unit about 50% of the time and is supposed to give the 2-month-old child a bottle or pacifier and pick her up when she cries. He also told officials, per the complaint, he was hungry and had no way to contact his parents or anyone else in an emergency. 

The storage unit

The criminal complaint says the storage unit was in disarray. A section couch and a twin mattress, which three children slept on, was inside. The mattress had no bedsheets. There was a box of chips, milk, and a case of soda. There were no lights, electricity, or running water. The detectives described the odor of the unit as "putrid," and could not remain inside even with the garage door open. 

Six children found in locked storage unit in Milwaukee Milwaukee Police Department

Authorities interviewed an employee of the storage unit, who stated in May of 2025 while cleaning, he overheard an adult male inside the storage unit say, "Sit down and be quiet." 

The employee was able to provide surveillance video showing Dupriest and Zielinski dropping their children off at the storage unit. 

The complaint says the employee reported the issue to management, who issued an eviction notice for the unit. 

Arrest of Dupriest and Zielinski

According to a criminal complaint, officers located Dupriest and Zielinski sleeping in an SUV in the parking lot. The two admitted they slept in the SUV with their dog while the children slept in the storage unit, the complaint says. Both Dupriest and Zielinski reportedly told investigators they were homeless but later admitted the children could have stayed with family members instead of in the storage unit. 

Zielinski, the complaint says, told investigators she struggled to secure housing for seven years and said the family had been sleeping in the storage unit for about a month-and-a-half. They obtained food from organizations and received WIC and food stamps, as well as $2,000 per month in Social Security benefits.