Officers say the bedroom was gated and the bathroom door zip-tied shut.
GLENDALE, AZ — Two Glendale parents were arrested after officers performing a welfare check on Jan. 29 found their two young sons living in what police described as “horrific” conditions inside a West Valley apartment. Arthur Jackson, 41, and Sara Jackson, 36, are each booked on two counts of child abuse and are being held on $25,000 bond.
The case matters now because it centers on allegations that two boys, ages four and six, were confined in a locked-down bedroom and denied basic sanitation and medical and educational care. Investigators say they documented feces smeared across surfaces, insect infestations and unsecured firearms within reach. The Arizona Department of Child Safety took custody of the children as detectives gathered interviews and photographs for prosecutors. Court proceedings begin with a preliminary hearing set for Feb. 9 in Maricopa County, where bond terms and any additional counts could be reviewed as authorities decide next steps.
Police were dispatched shortly after 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 29 to an apartment near 67th Avenue and Bethany Home Road after a caller reported a naked child standing in a window. When officers arrived, they said Sara Jackson answered the door and moved toward the only bedroom. According to a probable-cause statement, she cut through plastic zip ties securing a five- to six-foot-tall gate across the bedroom doorway before bringing the boys out. Officers reported seeing dried feces matted in the six-year-old’s hair. Glendale Fire crews evaluated both children at the scene, and they were taken to a hospital for further checks. “Every surface, including the ceiling and mattress, was covered in smeared feces,” an officer wrote in the booking narrative.
Inside the apartment, officers documented flies swarming in the living areas, a pervasive insect infestation and feces on the living room walls and floors. Investigators said the only bathroom, attached to the children’s bedroom, had its doorknob zip-tied to a screw so the boys could not use it. Police said a 9 mm handgun was found under a pillow on the bed where the children had been playing; the magazine was loaded and the chamber empty. Sara Jackson told officers there were also two 9 mm pistols and an AK-47 kept in the apartment. Detectives wrote that the kitchen and living room had narrow walking paths with belongings stacked as high as five to six feet, consistent with hoarding. Food and running water were present, but the rooms were soiled and cluttered, according to the report.
In recorded interviews, Sara Jackson told investigators the boys are not potty-trained and “don’t like to use the porta-potty in the bedroom.” She acknowledged the feces on walls and floors and said she felt overwhelmed, adding, “I’m a bad mom sometimes” and “I don’t have motivation,” according to the police statement. She said the children sleep on a mattress smeared with feces and confirmed they have never been to a doctor or school. Arthur Jackson told detectives he works up to nine hours a day, six days a week, and “doesn’t have time to scrub the apartment.” He said the mess worsened “around Christmas.” He acknowledged the feces throughout the unit but said he opens the gate when he is home. In a separate interview, Sara said the bedroom gate is kept closed “24 hours a day, seven days a week,” even when he is present.
Neighbors’ accounts were not immediately available Monday, and investigators have not released details about prior calls to the residence. Glendale police did not list any previous child-welfare history involving the family in the initial court filing. The department said the boys were naked when officers first saw them, and both appeared developmentally behind. One child is nonverbal, and the six-year-old does not speak in complete sentences, investigators wrote. The police report notes electrical outlets in the bedroom were missing covers, and a second damaged gate was found near the front door.
Both suspects were booked into Maricopa County jail on two counts each of child abuse. A judge set bond at $25,000 per defendant. The case is being screened by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, which could amend or add charges after reviewing full reports, photographs and medical evaluations. The preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 9. The boys remain in the custody of the Arizona Department of Child Safety while placement is arranged. The court filing indicates investigators collected zip ties, the bedroom gate and photographs of the bathroom door as evidence.
Glendale police have not released 911 audio or body-worn camera footage related to the response. A department spokesperson said updates will be provided as detectives finish interviews and collect additional records. Outside the apartment complex Monday afternoon, residents moved in and out carrying groceries and laundry. A maintenance worker said he had noticed increased police presence late last week but declined to comment further. “It was pretty shocking,” said a passerby who saw officers on the second-floor landing. “You don’t expect that on a weekday.”
As of Monday evening, both defendants remained jailed as the county attorney reviews the case file. The next public milestone is the preliminary hearing set for Feb. 9, when a judge will consider probable cause and future court dates.
Author note: Last updated February 2, 2026.