Neighbors describe 'horrible' conditions at house where Zoey Felix lived until recently
As neighbors grieved Tuesday afternoon after learning about the violent death of 5-year-old Zoey Felix, they could see items being burned behind the southeast Topeka home where she lived until about two weeks ago.
Two men from Jen's House and Commercial Cleaning LLC were burning what appeared to be wood in a small fire in a barrel in the backyard of the house in the 2200 block of S.E. Market.
That house had been in "horrible" condition before more recently being cleaned up, Desiree Miles, who lives across the street, told The Capital-Journal. Market runs two blocks east of S.E. California Avenue.
Feces from dogs who lived there had been present "everywhere in the house," which went long periods of time without heating, air conditioning or running water, neighbors said.
They said Zoey was among several people who lived in the house, adding that Zoey often roamed the neighborhood unsupervised.
Zoey's mother about two weeks ago kicked out Zoey and the others, who went to live in a campsite, neighbors said.
On Tuesday, Topeka police said Zoey had been raped and killed a day earlier. Mickel Cherry, 25, was jailed in connection with rape and first-degree murder in the commission of a felony.
Cherry had formerly lived at the house in the 2200 block of S.E. Market, then moved about two weeks ago with Zoey and residents of that house to a campsite less than a mile away, neighbors said.
Topeka police continued Wednesday to investigate but weren't sharing details about what they were looking into or had learned.
Who owns the house where Zoey Felix lived before she was homeless?
The house was built in 1958 and has an appraisal value of $87,720, according to records from the Shawnee County appraiser's office.
It is owned by Angela Massengill, who lives elsewhere in Topeka, those records say.
Massengill lists herself on Facebook as being the owner of Jen's House and Commercial Cleaning LLC, a business at 1410 S. Kansas Ave. that was established in 1999 by Jennifer Hopper.
What happened to Zoey is a tragedy, Massengill told The Capital-Journal on Tuesday through Facebook Messenger.
She said she was prohibited by law from revealing the identity of the person to whom she had rented out the house.
Massengill said over the past couple of weeks, she had been cleaning up the exterior of that house after its condition was brought to her attention by Topeka's city government.
More: 'Everybody loved Zoey, except her parents.' Neighbors say child slain Monday was neglected
"No complaints of traffic or illegal tenants were brought to my attention previously," she said.
Massengill said she spoke Tuesday to neighbors in the area surrounding the house and told them, "I am handling things on my end as a landlord."
How had Topeka's city government gotten involved?
Topeka's city government was in the process Wednesday morning of gathering information to respond to questions The Capital-Journal posed about water service to the house, any city code compliance cases potentially involved and any visits city animal control officers may have made there, said Gretchen Spiker, the city's communications director.
A neighbor told The Capital-Journal on Tuesday that a "dog pound" officer had gone to the house and saw feces inside but didn't take any animals away.
Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Neighbors: Dog feces abundant in Topeka house where Zoey Felix lived
