It's been days since police discovered 11 starving children being held captive at a makeshift compound in New Mexico, but details are still emerging. Four adults have been arrested, while the body of a boy was discovered on the property.
Photos from the compound show a ramshackle outpost in a remote part of the state and personal items littered across the compound. As authorities continue to reveal information about the compound and the raid, here's what we know so far.
The Compound
When police raided the compound near Amalia, New Mexico, they found it had no plumbing, running water or electricity, and that conditions were filthy. It appeared the only food available was potatoes and rice.
"I've been working this job for 30 years," Taos County Sheriff Jerry Hogrefe told the Santa Fe New Mexican. "People live off the grid, but man, not like this. What was most surprising and heartbreaking was when the team located a total of five adults and 11 children. [they] looked like third world refugees not only with no food or fresh water, but with no shoes, personal hygiene and basically dirty rags for clothing."
Arrests
Five adults were arrested at the compound following the raid, one of whom was 40-year-old Siraj Ibn Wahhaj. He was arrested on suspicion of child abduction. His three-year-old son, Abdul Ghani Wahhaj, had previously been reported missing by his mother.
The other adults arrested including Lucas Morton, 40, Jany Leveille, 35, Hujrah Wahhaj, 38 and Subhannah Wahhaj, 35. Hogrefe told reporters the adults at the compound were "Muslim extremists."
Missing Boy
Three-year-old Abdul Ghani Wahhaj's mother claimed Siraj Ibn Wahhaj took the boy in December, according to documents obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The woman said Siraj Ibn Wahhaj wanted to perform an "exorcism" on the boy, who he believed was "possessed by the devil."
Body Found
Authorities discovered the body of an unidentified young boy on the compound, buried beneath human waste. It was unclear if the body was that of Abdul Ghani Wahhaj. Authorities said an autopsy was underway to confirm the identity and the cause of death.
Training Children For Shootings
Police found a number of firearms at the scene, including an AR-15, pistols and magazines. It was as of yet unclear whether the guns were acquired legally. Court documents alleged the children were being trained to commit school shootings, the Associated Press reported.
