Bellaire police responding to a shots fired report found children hiding in a deplorable home.

Valarie Cifaldi, and her boyfriend, Paul Findley, were charged with domestic violence and three counts of child endangerment.

Police responded to a report that several gunshots were fired near 1659 Belmont Street on Wednesday.

Cifaldi, who was on the porch, said she didn't know where the shots came from and became "belligerent."

Officers entered the home to find the children - ages 5, 10 and 16 - hiding in an upstairs room.

The children told police that they heard the gunshots, and said Cifaldi and Findley had been arguing. Police found a broken beer bottle and broken lamp in the home and believe Findley had been drinking.

In a news release, police said the "conditions of the house were deplorable." Among other debris, police found a dead rat near the 16-year-old's bedroom.

Children Services was notified and the children were released to a relative.

Police said a gunshot residue test will be analyzed. A weapon was not found, but police said a pistol case was in the kitchen.

Stay with NEWS9 for continuing coverage.

-Renee Cardelli, NEWS9