Dad waives hearing in case of dirty Cape home

A father accused of keeping his two children in an unsanitary home waived a preliminary hearing on the charges Wednesday, sending the case to circuit court.

The case began June 22, when Cape Girardeau police and workers from the Missouri Children's Division visited the home of Denver M. and Melanie Rose Brooks at 1827 Big Bend Road. According to a sworn statement filed with the court, investigators found a dirty home with swarms of roaches and other insects crawling over food on tables and countertops.

The children were placed in protective custody at that time.

Both Brookses were charged with first-degree child endangerment, a felony. With the court action Wednesday, Denver Brooks, 24, faces arraignment in circuit court Nov. 28.

Melanie Brooks, 26, will be in court Dec. 5 for a case review.

Denver Brooks faces additional charges for a fight Oct. 25 with his sister, Amanda Brooks. Charges filed Tuesday allege that Brooks slapped his sister in the face and threatened to "beat the hell out of her."

He will be arraigned Dec. 22 on misdemeanor domestic assault charges.

Assistant Cape Girardeau County prosecutor Julie Hunter declined to comment on either case after Denver Brooks' brief court appearance.

But in early October, Marie Brooks, Denver Brooks's mother, said the home was not as bad as described by police in statements filed with the court. The family has since moved from the house, a five-bedroom home in northeast Cape Girardeau.

The house was "a little dirty," Marie Brooks said, but no more than would be expected in a home with small children. "We had a little cockroach problem but not as bad as it says," she added.

Six adults and two children lived in the house, Marie Brooks said. The children were kept clean, she said.

The entire episode results from a dispute between family members, Marie Brooks said.