Blount County, Tennessee – Blount County Sheriff James Lee Berrong said a Maryville couple is charged with child abuse/neglect after deputies found the family, including a 4-year-old boy, living in squalid conditions with no electricity and minimal running water.

Allen Michael Westmoreland, 29, and Sandra Jean Gridley, 27, Calderwood Highway, Maryville, are each charged with child abuse/neglect (felony). Westmoreland and Gridley are in custody in the Blount County Correctional Facility on a bond of $7,500 each pending hearings in Blount County General Sessions Court at 1:30 pm August 6, 2025.

The investigation began Sunday after deputies received information that there were dogs tied up behind a residence on Calderwood Highway that didn’t have access to water, food, or shelter. When deputies arrived, they located three dogs chained up behind the house that appeared emaciated and were without shelter. Deputies located the residents, Westmoreland and Gridley, who arrived a short time later. During the course of their investigation, deputies and investigators discovered the home was in squalid conditions rife with bugs and animal feces throughout the home, and with no electricity and minimal running water. Deputies also learned that a 4-year-old boy resides at the home. Deputies contacted DCS who took custody of the boy. Blount County Animal Control removed four dogs that are now receiving care at the Blount County Animal Center.

Westmoreland and Gridley were taken into custody Tuesday evening. The Sheriff’s Office Investigations unit is continuing their inquiry into the case.