John Robbins, 68, and Michael Robbins, 34, were arrested in Temple, Texas, on May 22, 2026, after police discovered two children living in unsanitary and unsafe conditions.
Discovery of the Children
Officers from the Temple Police Department responded to complaints from neighbors about a foul odor coming from the Robbins home. Upon arrival on May 20, police noted the house “smelled like death” and found flies buzzing around the property.
When no one answered the door, officers entered and found two children, ages 8 and 10, in a bathtub half-filled with dirty water. The children had matted, bug-infested hair, and their clothing was dirty and covered in food stains.
Police reported the children smelled of urine, feces, body odor, and stagnant water, and one child had rotting teeth.
Condition of the Home
Investigators found the home filled with rotting garbage, animal feces, maggots, and other insect activity. There were no clean surfaces in the house, and the children said they had never attended school and could not read or write.
They also reported that the Robbins men did not feed them and that the children had to care for each other.
Arrests and Charges
John and Michael Robbins were both charged with two counts of endangering or abandoning a child. They are being held in Bell County Jail on $60,000 bond each. Their next court date has not been released.
Community Response
Neighbors alerted authorities after recognizing the foul odor. One neighbor, studying to be a mortician, identified the smell, while another reported hearing one of the children playing alone in the backyard after dark.
