The agency said all eight children have been given medical assessments and might have been malnourished. Six of the children have been medically cleared and released for foster care.

by Robert Taylor & Stephanie Serna

(WPLG) SAN ANTONIO - Bexar County sheriff’s deputies on Thursday night rescued eight children from a home in the northeast part of the county.

Two toddlers were found around 11:45 p.m. in the backyard of a home in the 8100 block of Chipping. One of them was chained to the ground and another was tied to a door with a dog leash, the Sheriff’s Office said.

The children were found after a woman called 911 and told dispatchers she suspected children were being abused at the home. She told authorities she had heard crying coming from the backyard for at least a couple of hours.

“Our deputies arrive to the house, they knock on the front door (and) no one answers. They go to the backyard, they get a ladder to look over the fence and that’s where they see the two toddlers,” Sheriff’s Office spokesman James Keith said. “The little boy was chained to the ground. The little girl was tied up with a dog leash to a door. It was obvious they had both been there a while. There (were) obvious signs of abuse.”

Children suffered broken bones, possible malnourishment

The toddlers found in the backyard were taken to Christus Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital, where they are being treated for a variety of issues, the Sheriff’s Office said. All of the children found at the home are in the care of Child Protective Services.

The Department of Family and Protective Services said CPS took custody of five girls — a 1-year-old, two 3-year-olds and a 9- and 10-year-old — as well as three boys, ages 10 months, 4 years and 8 years.

The agency said all eight children have been given medical assessments and might have been malnourished. Six of the children have been medically cleared and released for foster care.

Two of the children remained in the hospital late Friday afternoon. CPS said one of them has a fractured right wrist and right arm and the other, a 3-year-old, has superficial injuries including abrasions and scarring.

“That’s where we find our comfort, is knowing that these kids are out of harm’s way,” Keith said.