Grand Island couple convicted of child abuse

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (KSNB) - A Grand Island couple who were raising four children in a filthy, bug-infested home stand convicted after their crimes were downgraded from felonies to misdemeanors.

Police arrested Daniel Fontaine, 35, and Amanda Wolfe, 32, in October 2023 after they found four children all unwashed with visible dirt on them. Police said the children in the home had sores, bug bites, and diaper rashes likely caused by unsanitary conditions.

Police also said the children were living in conditions that endangered their physical and mental health.

Fontaine was charged with four counts of felony intentional child abuse along with two misdemeanor charges for obstructing a peace officer and resisting arrest.

Wolfe was also charged with four counts of felony intentional child abuse.

Court records show charges against both were downgraded to four misdemeanor offenses each. On Thursday, both pleaded no contest and were convicted. They will be sentenced Jan. 29, 2025.

The four children in question were ages 3, 2, 1 and a three-month old baby.

According to court records, police observed that the baby looked small for its age. The baby weighed nine pounds when taken to the hospital.

The arrest warrant goes on to say the fridge and freezer had rotting food with bugs crawling around, there were human and animal feces on the floor of the bathroom, cockroaches as well as trash piled up.

During a previous court hearing, a judge pointed out that the couple were supposed to be working with DHHS for the last year to deal with unsafe and unsanitary living conditions, but failed to do so and things got worse.

The maximum penalty for a conviction on misdemeanor child abuse is one year in prison and a $1,000 fine.