YOUNGSTOWN An investigation into a report of two unattended children near a gas station on Youngstown’s South Side Friday morning led to the arrest of a woman on child endangering charges and the removal of ten children from a squalid home, according to Youngstown police.

The incident began around 11:20 a.m. when police received a call about two children, a toddler and an 18-month-old, alone in a high-traffic area at the South Avenue Gas Mart, 2325 South Ave.

An anonymous caller told police that a male juvenile later took the 18-month-old away from the scene. The remaining child, a 2- to 3-year-old wearing a "Spider-Man" shirt and only a diaper, was turned over to Mahoning County Children's Services.

At the time the child was reported found, and until a police report was filed an hour and a half later, no one had called 911 to report a missing child.

While investigating, an officer drove past a home on East Dewey Avenue and was flagged down by Melissa Kanos, who was looking for her missing son. The officer, realizing this could be the child, informed Kanos that they might know where he was.

After confirming the child was with Children Services, officers went back to the home. Kanos, 27, initially said her son had been gone for only 10 to 15 minutes before changing her story to say she last saw him at 11 a.m.

Walking through the home, officers, along with representatives from Children's Services and the Housing Authority, discovered what they described as deplorable living conditions.

Inside, police reported seeing what appeared to be animal and human feces, widespread urine odors, and bugs flying and crawling everywhere. Old food was stuck to the floors. They noted that 14 people, including 10 children, lived in the home. Many of the children were sleeping on the floor and appeared unbathed, with the younger ones wearing "overused" diapers containing feces.

Due to the conditions, authorities removed all 10 children from the home and placed them with other family members.

Three dogs and two birds were also removed and taken to Animal Charity due to neglect, with one of the dogs described as extremely malnourished with open, bleeding sores.

The house was red-tagged and deemed unsafe for habitation.

Kanos was arrested and charged with five counts of child endangering. She was taken to the Mahoning County Jail and is being held on a $12,500 bond. She has a pre-trial hearing scheduled for Aug. 26.

Police also cited the children's grandparent and the mother of the other child found at the gas station, with child endangering.