MARYSVILLE – Like many homes with three kids this time of year, there’s a Christmas tree and stockings hanging.

But there’s also heroin in the living room, on a bathroom counter and in a bedroom, along with drug paraphernalia, Marysville police officer James Tolbert said Thursday.

“Junk was piled all over. It was in shambles,” he added.

There was no water or sewer service to the home. The gas had been turned off so they used propane and electric heaters.

Tolbert said police have been looking at the home for a while, because of complaints by neighbors about squatters. Police would knock on the door but nobody would answer, even though they could “see a kid in the upper story window peeking out,” Tolbert said.

He said police got a search warrant because of concern for the kids. Temperatures were in the mid-20s, and police didn’t know if there was any heat.

They went to the house Dec. 13 and again nobody would answer. Police used a battering ram to open the door. A woman who the kids called grandma piled up stuff to barricade the door, Tolbert said. “She just stood there.”

Two girls came down the stairs, but their brother stayed in his parents bedroom. Police got him out of there and saw some of the drugs.

The kids, ages 4 to 9, said they don’t go to school. “We’re homeschooled but not too much,” Tolbert said one child told him.

He said it was strange, but the children were asking police not to leave.

“They were worried about us leaving because their parents don’t come home until night,” Tolbert said.

He added they seemed excited about packing their bags and leaving.

“Our main focus is the kids,” he said, adding the parents could face charges later.