Milwaukee woman accused of neglecting 6 children in 'unlivable house'

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (WITI) -- A 43-year-old Milwaukee woman is accused of chronic neglect of six children who were in her care on the city's north side.

The accused is Tracey Shields -- and police describe her home as not fit for any human or animal to live in.

Shields, 43, faces the following criminal counts: Chronic neglect of a child - specified harm did not occur (six counts); Physical abuse of a child (intentional causation of bodily harm).

Behind the doors of the home on N. 64th Street, it was a seemingly house of horror for the children living inside.

Court documents say Shields got "drunk every day" and is accused of abusing the children, ages 8 to 14 -- even biting one of them in the face, and keeping them in deplorable conditions.

Reports say the "pungent smell of the home could be smelled from outside of the house. There were rats running along the outside of the home. The inside of the entire home was covered in animal feces, infested with flies, and filled with garbage. It was nearly impossible to walk through the home due to the amount of animal feces and garbage on the floor." The complaint also notes that the "bathroom sink was overflowing with garbage, making it unusable" -- and that there "was no edible food in the home; only alcohol. It did not appear that the home had running water."

Shields was arrested. Police say she was "swaying and slurring her words" and told officers, "I can drink when I want to."

The Milwaukee Child Advocacy Center of Children's Hospital of Wisconsin did respond to the case -- and the Milwaukee Department of Neighborhood Services was notified of the conditions at the home.