Couple who left 8 kids in a filthy RV with a ton of weed busted after their oldest went to neighbor's house looking for food: Police

A Wisconsin mates is facing aggregate charges of child abuse and neglect aft their oldest reportedly went to their neighbor's location to find food.

Wilber Copeland, 42, and Megan Cis, 33, were arrested connected Dec. 12 aft Lincoln County sheriff's deputies were called by a pistillate who told them 1 of her neighbors' 8 children came to her location looking for food. According to a criminal complaint obtained by the Wausau Daily Herald, the kid told the neighbour that their parents, aboriginal identified arsenic Copeland and Cis, were not determination and determination was nary nutrient near successful the RV wherever they lived.

When deputies arrived astatine the RV's location, they reportedly recovered a messiness inside, inadequate heating wherever the children slept, rotten food, canine feces, and marijuana.

According to the complaint, the children told deputies that Copeland and Cis ordered them to cleanable the RV portion they were gone. The deputies learned much astir the family's surviving concern arsenic they continued to talk to the children, who allegedly said that Cis was physically abusive toward them. In 1 instance, Cis allegedly lifted 1 kid by her sweatshirt, choked her, and punched her successful the ribs. That kid ended up with a achromatic eye, according to her siblings. Cis besides allegedly kicked the children successful the ankles for not taking 1 of the family's six dogs out.

The children told the deputies that Copeland and Cis instructed them to prevarication to constabulary astir the alleged maltreatment oregon other they would get successful trouble.

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Deputies said that erstwhile Copeland and Cis returned to their home, the deputies searched their RV and recovered 3 bags of marijuana and cause paraphernalia. Marijuana was besides recovered successful the headboard of the couple's bed.

Copeland and Cis were charged with being a enactment to the transgression of intimidating a victim, 8 counts of kid neglect, possession of THC, and possession of paraphernalia. Cis was additionally charged with 1 number of kid abuse.

Cis was booked into the Lincoln County Jail and posted $2,500 enslaved connected Dec. 13. She is scheduled to look successful tribunal again for a presumption league connected Jan. 12, 2026.

Copeland remains successful custody astatine the Lincoln County Jail connected $5,000 bond. He is scheduled to beryllium arraigned connected Jan. 28, 2026.