Siblings, 3 and 6, found alone in hotel; dad arrested

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Investigators say when they entered a motel room in Southeast Portland they found two children huddling under blankets inside a room that was filthy with bugs flying all over.

The father — Rory Gene Phillips — appeared in court on Wednesday and was charged with burglary, theft, unlawful possession of heroin, child neglect, and endangering the welfare of a minor.

According to court documents, on Nov. 5, police responded to a bar in the 3200 block of Southeast Hawthorne. The bar had been ransacked and $400 in cash was missing from the office. Another $300 from the cash register had been taken. The investigation revealed that an employee who had been fired was dating Phillips. Another employee said she was “100%” certain the person in the video was Phillips.

On Nov. 17 officers responded to a motel in the 3100 block of Southeast Powell. They were met by an employee who told them she could hear two children crying. While police were on the phone with DHS, Phillips returned, according to court documents. He told them he went to a nearby grocery store. While police were talking with Phillips, they “immediately observed him to be under the influence of an opiate,” according to court documents.

Phillips, records show, admitted he had just used heroin. He also admitted he left the children in the motel room without any supervision.

Officers say the boy, 3, had feces on his leg and in his diaper. The boy wasn’t wearing any other clothing.

When police were looking through the motel room, they found drug residue and evidence, according to records.

“Those are my dad’s pipes,” the girl, 6, told police, according to court documents.

Phillips is scheduled to be back in court later this month.