Cops: Children Who Lived At Train Station Suffered ‘Severe Neglect & Abuse’

Children were found in squalid conditions in Middletown and a doctor told police there were signs of “severe neglect and abuse,” authorities said.

A patrol officer at the Woodbourne Train Station rolled up on an occupied vehicle in the parking lot around 2 a.m. on August 27. The officer found Albert Dunkowski, 52, his wife, and four kids – ages 5, 6, 9, and 13 – sleeping in a vehicle, according to police.

Police reported that the inside of the vehicle was in “poor condition” and there was trash strewn about the floor and seats. All of the kids “appeared sickly” and an ambulance was called.

Dunkowski told officers his family was living in the vehicle after a fight with a family member. He said the family was living in an encampment near their vehicle in the woods near the train station.

Medics advised that the children should be taken to the hospital and also spoke with an emergency room doctor about the four youngsters’ condition. Dunkowski refused to have his kids transported, but the Penndel-Middletown Emergency Squad took the children to the hospital, police said.

An emergency room doctor at St. Mary Medical Center told investigators it was “one of the worst cases of neglect I have ever seen.”

In court papers, police stated that medical staff noted all the children were suffering from malnutrition, the two youngest children were in diapers and they had not been changed, one of the young boys had feces in his pants for what appeared to be an extended period of time, all of the kids had urine soaked pants, and one girl with cerebral palsy had bed sores all over her body.

The kids were transported to St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia for further treatment.

After police and the district attorney’s office heard from a doctor at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, Bucks County Children and Youth took protective custody of the kids, court papers noted.

Dunkowski advised police of three other children that were not with him at the train station.

One of the kids police spoke with was with a family friend and appeared to not have proper nourishment. The girl was unable to state where and when she last attended school.

In court papers, it was noted an evaluation discovered the girl had a hole in her teeth and she was unable to chew with that side of her mouth.

While investigating, police learned of another female child who was not with the family and an “exhaustive search” was launched. Falls Township police with the assistance of Dunkowski found the girl and she appeared “severely malnourished.”

The county took custody of the girl, court papers stated.

Dunkowski was arraigned Monday before District Judge John Kelly on six counts of felony endangering the welfare of children. He was sent to the Bucks County Correctional Facility on 10 percent of $50,000.

Dunkowski’s wife was not charged in relation to the incident as of press time.

Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.