Nearly a week after police returned their missing 2- year-old found wandering down the street naked, Michael and Maureen Bell have turned themselves in on five charges each of endangering a child.

Police brought the charges after a six-day investigation of the residents of 31 Twinbrook Ave., in conjunction with health officials and the New Hampshire Division of Children, Youth and Families. Michael Bell, 33, and Maureen Bell, 32, placed themselves into police custody on Thursday, July 10.

Salem health officials declared the home they were renting unfit for human habitation on Monday, July 7, only days after police discovered dirty diapers and human *** on the carpeting throughout the home while they were returning the couples’ then-missing 2-year-old daughter.

A neighbor found the girl walking down nearby Oakridge Avenue in the evening of July 4. The Bells have five children ranging in age from 2 to 9. According to Capt. Shawn J. Patten, the children have been staying with a relative in Hampstead.

While DCYF would not discuss case specifics, Director Maggie Bishop did acknowledge that they were working with the family.

“In normal situations, our only priority is the current safety of the kids,” Bishop said. “You can always be assured that the kids are in a safe environment and well. If they had any needs, they would be fulfilled. In cases where we’re involved like this, the kids are first priority. We work with the family or anybody else to make sure that they are healthy and doing well.”

According to Bishop, it is normal practice to provide medical exams for children if health concerns or medical issues have been raised.

“As a routine, we check with their pediatrician,” she said. “If there’s any question about their health, we would immediately bring them to a pediatrician.”

Once involved in a case, DCYF assesses the family’s situation, determines the safety issues and then creates a plan to address those issues, Bishop said earlier this week.

“We ensure that the children have some place to live and, if we need to, intervene and provide placement,” she said.

Health officials had visited the Bell residence three times in the past year after neighbors complained about junk – such as old appliances and a mattress – littering the front yard.

Though he never saw the inside of the split-level house on 31 Twinbrook Ave., town health officer Brian Lockard made three separate trips to the home, the first on Nov. 20 after receiving complaints of trash and broken furniture in the yard.

Nine days later, after receiving additional complaints, Lockard again inspected the yard, finding old furniture, an appliance and a mattress stacked together by the driveway.

In June, Lockard inspected the property a third time after neighbors complained that trash had been littering the front yard for more than a week.

Lockard also reported that the backyard pool had been neglected for some time and may have been full of stagnant water, in risk of becoming a breeding ground for mosquitoes and raising concerns of the possible presence of Eastern equine encephalitis and West Nile virus.

“The issues that were brought to my attention dealt with the exterior of the house,” Lockard said. “I had no idea of the conditions inside.”

While Lockard had been in contact with the property owner, Kim L. Forzese of Peterborough, he never met the Bell family. He estimated that the Bells had stopped maintaining the house more than a year ago.

According to a report made after his inspection of the home’s interior, Lockard found a strong offensive odor of ammonia and rotting waste had permeated the home. He observed flies and ants throughout the house and an accumulation of trash, old food, soiled diapers, food containers, soiled clothing and other debris.

Lockard noted damaged doors and walls throughout the home, including a kitchen window missing a pane of glass and a broken window in the living room replaced with plywood. He also found “significant mold growth” on the garage ceiling.

“It’s been months, if not over a year (since they stopped maintaining the home), based on the damage and the accumulation of trash,” he said. “This stuff doesn’t happen overnight. The mold growth in the garage didn’t happen overnight.”

According to Lockard, the property owner’s husband has been on the site to view the damages since his final inspection. Lockard said he will continue to provide the owner with help if needed.

“My part is done,” he said yesterday. “I’ll just provide advice to the owner of the property on cleanup procedures. If and when they clean the house, I’ll do another inspection.”

Neighbors expressed shock at the revelation of the unsanitary conditions inside the Twinbrook Avenue home.

“I really didn’t know them. They kept to themselves. I don’t think anyone knew them,” said Lorraine Wolcott, a resident of Oakridge Avenue for seven years. “When it literally happens in your backyard, it really hits home. It’s a little crazy.”