HAMDEN, Ohio (AP) — Just days after authorities removed 16 children from a squalid home and arrested four adult relatives, the question looms over their southern Ohio village: How could this have happened, for years, unnoticed, right here?
Neighbors of the family in tiny Hamden, employees at local stores where they shopped and even the investigators who responded to the scene have been left to wonder that aloud and to themselves, and the limited information shared by investigators doesn't offer a full answer.
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Items including a high chair, left, are seen in a home where authorities say they removed 16 children and arrested four adults in Hamden, Ohio, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Debris is strewn on the front lawn of a home where authorities say they removed 16 children and arrested four adults in Hamden, Ohio, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Items including a high chair are seen in a home where authorities say they removed 16 children and arrested four adults in Hamden, Ohio, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
A bag of rice and a can of insect killer sit in an open window of a home where authorities say they removed 16 children and arrested four adults in Hamden, Ohio, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Police tape surrounds a home where authorities say they removed 16 children and arrested four adults in Hamden, Ohio, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
The children weren't enrolled in school, the family moved around over the past two decades, and neighbors said they’d never spotted the kids. The children remained mostly confined to a small room in the house, investigators said, under deplorable conditions.
“Right under our noses and nobody was able to help them sooner,” said Emily Collins, 27, owner of VC Farm & Floral in nearby McArthur. “It’s just crazy that all the wonderful things going on in our little Hallmark town and this is what puts us on the radar. It’s really sad,” said the mother of three, who was compelled to decorate the sidewalk with bright flowers and stars drawn in chalk to cheer herself up.
Authorities said they had gone to the home Tuesday on an unrelated investigation and discovered the children — ages 1 1/2 to 18 years old — some of whom were unable to speak.
Seven were taken to hospitals, including one who was in critical condition, investigators said. Their current conditions weren't immediately known Thursday. Child welfare officials have temporary custody of the children.
A man who lives three houses down from the Siders family said he had seen “no kids at all” there.
“It’s a sad situation,” said Joseph Stewart, 60, who has lived in the “quiet neighborhood” for six years.
Four people who are the children’s parents and grandparents were arrested on child endangerment charges. Gary Siders Jr., 36, Gary Siders, 73, Elizabeth Siders, 33, and Christina Siders, 67, pleaded not guilty to child endangerment. Bond was set at $300,000 each.
An attorney for the elder Siders said he is presumed innocent.
“We ask that the community at large, as well as anyone who might have an interest in this case, to take a deep breath, step back, and let the case play out and the facts play out,” Dorian Baum told The Associated Press.
Attorneys for Siders Jr. and Christina Siders declined to comment. Messages seeking comment from Elizabeth Siders' lawyer were not immediately returned.
Authorities wouldn’t publicly share the nature of the other investigation that led them to the house Tuesday. However, court records show a warrant was issued for Siders Jr. that day on misdemeanor indecent exposure charges related to alleged incidents on four days in May. He has pleaded not guilty.
On Thursday, windows and doors at the formerly wide-open home, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) southeast of Columbus, had been boarded up. Police tape and piles of refuse remained.
The previous day, a door was ajar and heaps of trash and children’s toys were visible inside. A wood deck and the backyard were filled with discarded tires, a high chair and other debris.
The house sits on a road tucked alongside a steep railroad embankment, where tracks carry rumbling trains to a rail yard in the village of fewer than 1,000 residents. The closest neighbors are separated by trees and thick brush, but the house is easily visible from the road.
Investigators said members of the family had moved around southern Ohio over the past two decades and that it looks like they avoided creating a medical or governmental paper trail. The Vinton County Local School District, the only district in the area, said it has no records indicating that any of the children were ever enrolled.
“These folks were pretty good at hiding these kids,” Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said Wednesday.
The children’s absence from school, and the apparent lack of regular visits with medical professionals, likely contributed to keeping the dire situation unknown, said Jacqueline Yahn, an associate professor at Ohio University.
“When kids are isolated or not participating, you don’t have someone who’s trained to know the clues,” said Yahn, who specializes in rural education and poverty. “A well-check is called that for a reason: They’re checking for well-being and development.”
Investigators were reviewing whether the family was reported to any children’s services agencies in the past.
The children spent most of their time in a room that was roughly 12 feet by 12 feet (3.5 meters by 3.5 meters), according to investigators, who noted that human waste was all around.
“They looked like almost feral animals. It was terrible,” Wilson said.
Associated Press reporters Ed White in Detroit and Rebecca Boone in Boise, Idaho, contributed.
Items including a high chair, left, are seen in a home where authorities say they removed 16 children and arrested four adults in Hamden, Ohio, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Debris is strewn on the front lawn of a home where authorities say they removed 16 children and arrested four adults in Hamden, Ohio, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Items including a high chair are seen in a home where authorities say they removed 16 children and arrested four adults in Hamden, Ohio, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
A bag of rice and a can of insect killer sit in an open window of a home where authorities say they removed 16 children and arrested four adults in Hamden, Ohio, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Police tape surrounds a home where authorities say they removed 16 children and arrested four adults in Hamden, Ohio, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Gaining freedom from the heat will be a challenge for the eastern U.S. heading into the long Fourth of July weekend, prompting some communities to cancel, postpone or otherwise alter their Independence Day plans.
Dangerous, record-breaking heat will continue across much of the central and eastern U.S. through Friday and will continue along the East Coast through the weekend, the National Weather Service said Thursday. Temperatures in the high 90s Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) were forecast for the Northeast; New York and Boston both hit 100 degrees Thursday. Humidity is expected to make it feel even hotter, all but ensuring that sweat will dampen spirits at many celebrations marking 250 years of American independence.
“Anywhere you go in southern New England, you will be dealing with dangerous heat today, tomorrow and Saturday,” said Bryce Williams, a meteorologist with the weather service.
In Boston, entrance to the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular will start at 4 p.m. instead of noon on Saturday because of the heat. In Philadelphia, officials shortened the route of a Thursday morning parade, canceled an afternoon all-American Block Party, and pushed back the start times of an evening picnic and concert at Independence Mall.
In Lower Windsor Township, Pennsylvania, an America 250 celebration including food trucks, games and the highway department's dump truck has been rescheduled for July 8. In Norristown, Pennsylvania, officials canceled a parade set for Saturday, citing the safety of residents, participants and first responders, though evening fireworks and an afternoon party featuring games, food, and music will go on as scheduled.
“The parade is one of our community’s most beloved traditions, and we share in the disappointment of its cancellation, especially as we celebrate America’s 250th birthday,” Interim Municipal Administrator Jayne Musonye said.
Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania moved outdoor events indoors. Amtrak, meanwhile, canceled some train routes due to the heat Thursday, including the Acela between Boston and Washington, and said others may operate with reduced speeds resulting in delays through Saturday.
A heat dome — high-pressure systems above a region that trap heat and humidity — has been smothering parts of the U.S., from the Midwest to the East Coast. Beyond the holiday festivities, officials in many communities are taking steps to keep residents safe, including opening cooling centers. In Boston, several air-conditioned museums are offering free admission to city residents, and in Providence, Rhode Island, city pools and waterparks have extended their hours.
The temperature was 98 degrees by the time the Philadelphia Phillies started their home game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday. Sixteen pallets of water bottles were given out for free.
Bill Christy, 69, of Philadelphia, was walking with two teen charges that he had brought along for company.
“They’re young, they can handle it,” he said. “I’ll just go up in the shade somewhere if I get hot.”
Nearby a fife and drum corps marched up and down the lower concourse in full uniform.
“Usually it’s wool regimental. But this is linen, it’s cool,” said Debbie Mayes of Ewing, New Jersey, part of the Washington Crossing Fife and Drums. “We’re fine. They’ve been very kind to us, letting us take breaks and providing water.”
In New York, Amanda Powell, of Little Rock, Arkansas, was among the Taylor Swift fans flocking to Madison Square Garden in hopes of seeing the superstar singer before her Friday wedding.
“It’s super hot,” she said. “Being from Arkansas, we thought we could handle the heat, but it’s been very warm.”
Central Park in Manhattan hit 100 degrees Thursday afternoon, marking the first time the iconic park reached triple digits since 2012, according to the National Weather Service.
At the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston, workers offered up frozen blocks ice with herring for the African penguins, frozen pellets to the Nigerian dwarf goats and tossed frozen treats into the enclosure of the Western lowland gorillas, who scramble to grab and gobble them up.
“All of my animals have been doing a really great job of staying under the fan, staying near a sprinkler,” zookeeper Brooke Cannon said as she offered Quinn frozen treats. “I’m running around with the hose hitting them a little bit there and there. Yeah, it’s not their favorite, but you know sometimes you got to do what you got to do to make sure that they’re not making poor choices.”
Despite the heat, the zoo had plenty of visitors - though many took time to fan themselves or stand under misters to keep cool. Others were second-guessing their decision to visit.
“It's too hot in the summer and this is not the right time to come and visit zoo,” Bhargavi Patha, who was with her husband and 14-month-old son, said as they headed to the lion enclosure. “The heat is exhausting us. We are draining and we had to drink a lot of water to see all the animals.”
As the heat bore down on New York, Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged people conserve energy by setting their air conditionings to 78 degrees — a step previous mayors, including former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, have advised — in order to avoid stressing the power grid. Nevertheless, the request drew a round of jeers from the Democratic mayor’s conservative critics online.
By early Thursday afternoon, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul was asking everyone in the state to turn air conditioners to 75 degrees (24 Celsius) or higher, avoid using appliances unnecessarily and otherwise conserve electricity. Hochul, a Democrat, cited high demand and “unexpected load challenges.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican who pokes at the mayor often on social media, responded on X “Is this what was meant by the warmth of collectivism?,” spinning a phrase the democratic socialist employed in his inaugural address back at Mamdani.
The operators of the electric grids in New York state, New England and one stretching across 13 mid-Atlantic and Midwestern states all projected that electricity demand would peak on Thursday before falling back slightly on Friday. Though the projected usage peaks were roughly 40% above a normal summer day, operators have not issued emergency calls to reduce consumption, and industry analysts say system planners prepare for such circumstances.
PJM Interconnection, which operates the grid that serves 65 million people from New Jersey to Illinois, said Thursday’s projected peak would set an all-time high for summer electricity demand, last set in 2006.
Associated Press writers Daniel Gelston in Philadelphia, Anthony Izaguirre and Ted Shaffrey in New York, Michael Casey and Rodrique Ngowi in Boston and Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, contributed to this report.
Zookeeper Brooke Cannon feeds Nigerian dwarf goats frozen pellets at the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston, Thursday, July 2, 2026, to help them cope with the hot conditions. (AP Photo/Michael Casey)
An African penguin swims in their enclosure at the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston to cope with the hot weather conditions, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP/Michael Casey)
Zookeeper Brooke Cannon provides a Dexter steer at the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston, Thursday, July 2, 2026, with a block of ice containing apple slices, bananas and pears to help it keep cool amid the heat wave. (AP Photo/Michael Casey)
A pygmy hippopotamus wallows in the water in their enclosure at the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston to cope with the hot weather conditions, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP/Michael Casey)
Ruth, 11, from Burke, Va., gets cold water poured on her head to cool off at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, Thursday, July 2, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
A man plays Frisbee with friends in the Sheep Meadow of New York's Central Park, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
A man takes advantage of a sprinkler during hot weather in New York's Central Park, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Ruth, 11, from Burke, Va., gets cold water poured on her head to cool off at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, Thursday, July 2, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
A vendor pulls out a bottle of water from a tank using dry ice to keep it cold, during a heat wave at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, Thursday, July 2, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
A man wipes sweat off of his head while attending the Great American State Fair, on the National Mall, Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Visitors and members of the National Guard rest in the shade of a tent while attending the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
Mickelina Papotto, of Salem, Ore., left, and Lorie Odegaard, of Gaithersburg, Md., fan themselves while waiting in line for the ferris wheel at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
