A Milwaukee father of six is headed to prison for five years for locking his children in a storage unit for shelter last year.
Circuit Court Judge Ana M. Berrios-Schroeder said she didn’t question Charles Dupriest’s love for his children, but that his decisions during a turbulent string of money crises ultimately placed his young children in harm’s way.
At an April 9 sentencing hearing, the judge ordered Dupriest, 34, to serve a total of five years behind bars, mirroring a recommendation by prosecutors. Dupriest also must spend five years on extended supervision once his prison time is completed.
He and Azyia Zielinski, 27, were arrested and charged in September after police found the children inside a locked StorSafe storage unit at 5555 N. 27th St.
A concerned citizen called 911 when he heard a baby crying from inside storage unit B-58.
Firefighters cut the lock, opened the unit and found all six children — ages 2 months, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 9 — inside the dark, unventilated storage unit where Dupriest and Zielinski had crammed their belongings after their recent eviction.
The unit had no electricity or running water, and the children were left with no cellphone to call for help. A bucket was used as a makeshift toilet.
During the hearing, Dupriest wept as he pleaded directly to the judge and through his attorney Annamarie Wineke for probation or a stayed sentenced so he could be reunited with his family.
“Just the thought of what that [prison] would do to my children …” a tearful Dupriest said, his voice trailing off before he could finish his statement.
Money troubles mounted
Prosecutors have said the couple turned to the storage unit as a last resort for shelter for their children after they fell on hard times.
The $2,000 a month in social security benefits Zielinski, the children’s mother, was receiving just didn’t stretch far enough.
Dupriest, a carpenter and laborer, did Uber Eats and DoorDash gigs to fill the gaps between contractor jobs, but still couldn’t make ends meet.
The family and their dog were kicked out of their apartment on Milwaukee’s northside in June, according to previous court testimony. Plans to stay with friends later didn’t pan out.
And things fell through while working with an organization that helps people who are temporarily homeless find permanent housing. Officials there had questions about Zielinkski’s financial paperwork and were hesitant to work with her, according to previous court testimony.
Letters were sent to the court in recent days from Dupriest’s family and friends, portraying Dupriest as a man who in the past struggled with substance abuse, but is devoted to his children and deserves a second chance.
“His decision wasn’t right, but he had good intentions. He wants to keep his family together and not lean on nobody,” his brother Ireland Jones said. “But sometimes, you’ve got the let that pride go and lean on people.
“For his kids, he would go to war for them.”
In January, prosecutors dismissed court four felony against Zielinski after she agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of child neglect, court records show.
Berrios imposed a sentence of 18 months of incarceration for Zielinski but stayed its execution. Zielinski was then placed on 18 months of probation. She also was ordered to attend parenting classes and undergo a mental health evaluation.
“This isn’t about punishing poverty,” Assistant District Attorney Thomas Hasle said. “It’s about holding someone accountable for choices he made that put children in danger.”
Dupriest pleaded no contest in 2010 in Ozaukee County to third-degree sexual assault, a class-G felony, online court records show. The plea landed him on the state’s sexual offender registry until Aug. 13, 2030.
While it’s possible to rent an apartment while on the sex offender registry, it’s much more difficult because many cities, including Milwaukee, have ordinances that prohibit to renting to people on the list from living within a certain distance of schools, parks, or day cares.
Dupriest has 20 days to appeal his sentence. He has 205 days of in-custody credit that can be applied to his sentence.
Chris Ramirez covers courts for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He can be reached at caramirez@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee dad sentenced for locking kids in storage unit. What was his punishment?
Reporting by Chris Ramirez, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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