A Milwaukee jury has found Charles A. Dupriest, 33, guilty of child neglect after police rescued six children from a locked storage unit on the city’s north side, where officers said there was no power or running water and a bucket served as a toilet.
The case drew attention for its stark images and the age range of the children — a 2-month-old infant up to a 9-year-old — as well as the question of intent versus neglect amid homelessness. Authorities said the discovery happened in the early morning hours of Sept. 16, 2025, at a facility near N. 27th St. and W. Silver Spring Dr. The verdict, returned this week, caps four months of investigation and hearings and places Dupriest in custody pending sentencing. Prosecutors said the mother, Azyia Zielinski, 26, faces related charges on a separate track. No serious injuries were reported, but officials described hazardous conditions inside the unit.
According to trial testimony, officers responded around 1:30 a.m. after a report of children crying from behind a metal door. Firefighters with the Milwaukee Fire Department cut a padlock to enter. Inside, first responders found the infant and five other children — ages 2, 3, 5, 7 and 9 — in a dim space with scattered bedding and basic food items. Jurors watched body camera video that captured an officer saying, “What’s going on here?” as the door rolled up and rescuers shuffled the children into fresh air. Police said Dupriest and Zielinski were found sleeping in a nearby vehicle with a dog and told officers they had fallen on hard times.
Prosecutors argued the conditions met the legal definition of neglect: no electricity, no water, a foul odor and a plastic bucket used as a toilet. Case reports said the unit had no windows and was secured from the outside. Detectives testified that a firearm was recovered from the parents’ vehicle; Dupriest, a convicted felon, was charged with possession of a firearm as an adult convicted of a felony in addition to multiple counts of child neglect. In court, Dupriest told jurors he felt “slightly inadequate” and said his priority was finding stable housing, but he maintained he did not intend to harm the children. The panel deliberated after viewing video, photographs and listening to police and fire personnel describe the rescue.
The jury found Dupriest guilty on eight neglect counts — five felonies and three misdemeanors — and on the firearm charge. He was ordered held after the verdict, with sentencing set for April 9. Prosecutors said child welfare authorities placed the children in protective care and that medical checks revealed no immediate trauma requiring hospitalization. Investigators also outlined the timeline: a 911 call, forced entry by fire crews, a quick sweep to remove the children, and interviews with the parents about how long they had been using the unit. Officials said the family had been homeless for more than a year, according to statements recorded during the investigation.
The initial discovery in September prompted a review of security footage at the storage facility and canvassing of nearby businesses along Silver Spring Drive. Witness accounts varied. One person told officers they had seen children with adults at the site before; another said they had not noticed any until police arrived. Detectives said they documented the interior layout, collected items for evidence and worked with the district attorney’s office to file charges within days. Court filings noted the unit lacked basic safety features expected in residential spaces, and firefighters reported air quality concerns inside after they cut the lock and entered.
In statements submitted at trial, first responders described hearing a baby’s cry through the metal door before they forced entry. Jurors saw photographs of bedding on the floor and a small assortment of snacks. A police report referenced a bucket placed in a corner, which officials said was being used as a toilet. No running water or power sources were present, according to testimony. The jury also heard that a handgun was retrieved from the parents’ vehicle and logged into evidence, forming the basis of the separate firearms count against Dupriest. Zielinski’s case, prosecutors said, remains pending with multiple neglect counts listed in recent court schedules.
The storage unit case unfolded as Milwaukee grapples with rising shelter demand and strained family services. Advocates have said that while homelessness does not equate to neglect, the conditions described in this incident crossed legal thresholds. Records introduced by prosecutors showed previous police contacts with the family related to welfare checks, though there was no open child protective services case at the time of the storage unit discovery. The facility itself sits along a busy corridor with industrial and retail properties, a setting where late-night traffic and noise can obscure cries for help until a passerby calls 911, investigators told the court.
With the verdict in hand, the court shifted to scheduling. Dupriest will return for sentencing on April 9, where the judge will weigh felony and misdemeanor neglect convictions along with the firearm offense. Victim-impact statements from guardians or foster placements could be included. Zielinski is expected to appear at future hearings on her own charges. Prosecutors said they do not anticipate additional defendants. The children remain under the supervision of child welfare agencies while long-term placement decisions are made through family court proceedings that run separately from the criminal case.
Neighbors and drivers who stopped near the facility on the night of the rescue told officers they watched fire crews arrive and saw children escorted from the unit. “It was shocking — you don’t expect to see that at a storage place,” one witness said in a statement summarized in court. Another described the silence after sirens as investigators taped off the row of units. Jurors heard from Detective Andrew Farina, who said he first noticed the infant’s cry and then the padlock. “We called for the fire department,” he said on the stand. “Once the door opened, our focus was getting the kids out.”
As of Thursday, Dupriest remained jailed awaiting sentencing, and Zielinski’s case stayed on the court calendar for additional settings. Officials said more information about the children’s long-term placements will come through family court orders, which are not public. The next milestone in the criminal case is the April 9 sentencing date.
Author note: Last updated January 15, 2026.