Lemons, a Vermont native and mother of five children ages 4 to 10, has lived with Lacey and his three children, ages 3 to 6 at the Funston Avenue home for a few months, according to the court bail commissioner, Francine Harrison.
Lemons was arrested in March 2004 in Vermont for allegedly giving a false report, but has no other criminal record, Harrison said.
Lacey, a New York state native, has a criminal history in New York that includes assault with a weapon, for which he served 29 days in jail, Harrison said. He has also been arrested in that state for allegedly violating probation, driving while intoxicated, second-degree criminal trespass and second-degree harassment.
Lacey and Lemons told neighbors they had difficult pasts, but were starting anew by bringing their eight children to live together in Torrington, Loomis said.
"They had us all fooled," Loomis said. "We all fell for it, giving them clothes and rides everywhere."
DCF was called to the house in late June after the couple had an argument, police said. Loomis said she saw them supply blankets to the family, but wondered why the children were not taken out of the home earlier.
Police went to the home to investigate an argument between Lacey and Lemons early in the evening Monday and thought Lacey was intoxicated, but found no evidence of a possible crime, according to a police report. Loomis said Lemons and Lacey continued to argue after police left, and she left Lacey, walking down Funston Avenue with her five children in tow.
To bad that sh also goes by 3 or 4 other last Names
Why do children's services consistently seem to leave children in clearly dangerous homes, while a single accusation of abuse from a third party will have them going over a good middle-class home with a fine tooth comb faster than you can blink?