DALLAS -- A 2-year-old girl and 5-year-old boy were in state custody this week after officers found them in a boarded up home surrounded by molded trash heaps, broken glass and a toilet filled with feces, according to Dallas police.

The home, which had no power or water since 2002, was located in the 3500 block of Holmes Street, according to a Dallas police report.

Officers arrived at the seemingly abandoned home Monday to check into complaints about drugs being sold from the house. As the officers entered with guns drawn -- shouting "Police! Police!" -- they heard the sound of children.

Two barefoot children were found sitting on a soiled mattress in a back room. Broken glass and razor blades were found in the home. A pistol was found on a window ledge near the children, said Dallas police Senior Cpl. Kevin Janse.

The conditions in the home were “deplorable,” he said.

Meanwhile, an undercover officer spotted their father Gregory Amphy, 22, in front of a convenience store a few lots away. When officers approached him, police said, he threw a bag of marijuana into a nearby trash can and headed back toward the house.

When he saw the officers outside his home, he said, "Hey, what are you doing? My kids are in there," according to police.

Mr. Amphy faces charges of two counts of child endangerment, theft of a stolen vehicle, possession of marijuana and resisting arrest or search, Senior Cpl. Janse said. The Dallas County Sheriff's Office said Mr. Amphy's bond was set at $25,000.

Marissa Gonzales, a Child Protective Services spokeswoman said Wednesday the children were found with dirty hands and feet but showed no signs of serious injuries or medical conditions that required hospitalization.

The two children live with their mother in Dallas and had been visiting Mr. Amphy for only a few days, Ms. Gonzales said. Mr. Amphy had little contact with his children and showed up at their home asking for permission to take them for a while. The children's mother agreed.

The mother told investigators she had never lived at the Holmes address. "She seemed distraught about what had happened to her children," Ms. Gonzales said.

It was unclear whether the family has had any history with CPS, but there appeared to be no recent contact , Ms. Gonzales said. Workers were trying to place the children with other relatives or friends of the family.

On Wednesday, a man arrived at the Holmes home in a gray Lexus and identified himself as Mr. Amphy's girlfriend's father, Alvin Davis. He said Mr. Amphy rents the home but does not live there.

Mr. Davis said Mr. Amphy takes care of the kids as best he can.

"Greg, he tries to be a father no matter what he does, whether it's illegal or not," Mr. Davis said.

"Them was two good little kids," he said. "They were well-mannered and smart."