MAPLE VALLEY, Wash. — King County deputies say the Maple Valley home where they discovered a dead woman and 10 sick children last week had a history of neighbor complaints, code enforcement concerns, and even stolen cars recovered on the property.
Deputies described ‘squalid conditions’ at the home on SE 200th Street, and neighbors said problems at the residence go back years.
“It’s very disturbing,” said Mike Sawyer, who lives nearby. “That kind of stuff just, at least as far as I know, doesn’t happen here. We are a small community. Most people are very close, and most people are close with their neighbors.”
Other neighbors say the home had been a problem long before last week.
Deputies say they’ve received complaints of suspicious activity, burning, and noises reported to authorities over time.
Deputies had responded to the property before:
- April 2025: An exterior-only search warrant was executed and stolen cars were found on the property, but deputies were not permitted to search inside the home. No charges were filed.
- May 2025: A stolen car chase ended at the property, and the driver was arrested for eluding and hit and run.
- February 2026: Deputies responded for a welfare check and discovered “squalid” conditions inside.
When deputies entered the home on Feb. 13, they say they found rotten food, strong odors consistent with raw sewage and animal waste, and potential fire hazards.
Deputies say they had no idea children were living inside the home until last week. All 10 children were rushed to the hospital and are now in the custody of Child Protective Services.
In a statement, the Department of Children, Youth and Families said:
“Law enforcement reported suspected child abuse and neglect to DCYF, and we began to coordinate with them to ensure staff were ready to respond to the home when law enforcement placed the children in protective custody.”
Sawyer says he’s frustrated that it took this long for authorities to intervene.
“Time after time, you come out to the same place,” he said. “I don’t know what to say other than I’m disappointed in that performance.”
It remains unclear whether the woman found dead inside the home is related to any of the children.
The investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made.