Charles Dupriest, 33, was sentenced to five years in prison plus five years of extended supervision after a jury convicted him on charges tied to six children found locked inside a Milwaukee storage unit on Sept. 16, 2025. The children, ages 2 months to 9 years, were discovered without electricity or running water and using a bucket as a toilet. Dupriest received concurrent 18-month terms on felony neglect counts and was ordered to attend parenting classes and mental health treatment; the children's mother, Azyia Zielinski, pleaded guilty to misdemeanors and received probation.
Milwaukee Father Sentenced to 5 Years After Six Children Found in 'Putrid' Locked Storage Unit
Charles Dupriest Azyia ZielinskCredit: Milwaukee Police Department
Charles Dupriest, 33, was sentenced to five years in prison followed by five years of extended supervision after a jury convicted him in January on multiple counts related to leaving six children in a locked storage unit in Milwaukee. The case has drawn attention for the condition in which the children were found and the court's focus on parental accountability.
Details of the Discovery
On Sept. 16, 2025, police and firefighters responded to reports of a child crying at a storage facility near 27th Street and Silver Spring Drive just after 1:30 a.m. Firefighters cut a padlock to enter the unit and discovered six children — ages 2 months, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 9 — inside the dark, locked space.
Credit: Milwaukee Police Department
Conditions Inside the Unit
Investigators reported the unit had no electricity or running water. The children’s only light came through a crack beneath the door, and they were using a bucket as a toilet. Officials described the storage unit as smelling "putrid." One child said they were responsible for feeding an infant and keeping younger siblings quiet while the parents were away. The children told officers they sometimes searched trash for food and had no way to contact help.
Parents' Actions and Whereabouts
Authorities said the children’s parents, Charles Dupriest and 26-year-old Azyia Zielinski, drank and smoked in or near the unit. The older children — excluding the infant — reported being subjected to physical punishment. After the children were found, Dupriest and Zielinski were located sleeping in an SUV in the storage facility’s parking lot; Dupriest later told investigators the family dog had damaged their truck.
Credit: Google maps
Charges, Sentencing and Court Orders
A jury convicted Dupriest on nine counts: five felony counts of child neglect, three misdemeanor counts of child neglect and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. He faced up to 14 years in prison. The court imposed a five-year prison term — a sentence the judge said primarily stemmed from the firearm conviction — followed by five years of extended supervision. Dupriest also received concurrent 18-month terms for each felony child neglect count.
The judge ordered Dupriest to complete parenting classes and participate in mental health treatment as conditions of his sentence.
Outcome for the Mother
Azyia Zielinski pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of neglecting a child. She was sentenced to 18 months in the county House of Correction, but that jail term was stayed and replaced with 18 months of probation.
Prosecutor: "This case is not about punishing poverty. It is about holding a parent accountable for choices that put children in danger."
If you suspect child abuse or neglect, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or visit www.childhelp.org. Calls are toll-free and confidential, available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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