Store worker who

A Dollar General employee in Hamden, Ohio, has shared haunting memories of the Siders family, who were at the center of a severe child neglect case.

Ariel Gutierrez, who worked at the local store, said the family visited nearly every night before closing, buying only water, vegetable oil, and sugar.

They always brought just one child, who appeared extremely malnourished and pale, with hair covering their face to block out the world.

Gutierrez noted the children’s ghostly appearance and how the adults kept them from speaking to anyone.

Despite store workers offering clothes and hygiene items, the family never seemed to use them.

What stuck with Gutierrez most was the unforgettable stench that lingered long after the family left—matching the horrific conditions later described by Ohio’s attorney general inside their home.

The case has shocked the small village, as 16 children were hidden from view, never enrolled in school, and now four adults face child endangerment charges. Gutierrez expressed deep regret, wishing she had spoken up sooner.