Fresno father, mother arrested on suspicion of child neglect

A Fresno father was arrested Tuesday and faces felony charges after a passerby found a 3-year-old wandering in the street and officers discovered three more kids inside a squalid apartment. The mother later turned herself in.

Child Protective Services took custody of the children as police investigated the incident, which was reported about 8:30 a.m. at an apartment complex at East Olive and North Peach avenues.

The father was identified as 33-year-old Joshua Yang.. Police later arrested the mother, identified as 33-year-old Bao Xiong.

Police spokesman Felipe Uribe said officers were called to the scene when the passerby noticed the child, in diapers, near the apartment.

Uribe said officers where also trying to verify that the family was being evicted from the apartment.

A man who said he was working in the area, but did not wish to be identified, said when he saw the child he and another person tried to contact someone at an apartment where it appeared the child lived, looked inside and saw the other children, and called police. He said he was appalled by conditions in the apartment.

“He deserves to go to jail,” he said of whoever was responsible for the children.

Uribe said the children are 1, 3, 4, and 7 years old.

The oldest child told arriving officers that their parents were not home.

Officers found no fresh food in the home, along with dirty diapers and trash.

“What we found inside did not happen this morning,” Uribe said. “This has been going on for days.”

The father arrived while police were on scene and was taken into custody. Uribe said he faces multiple felonies.

This story was originally published April 13, 2021 at 11:05 AM.