All not serene at Heaven’s Serenity House

An area grandmother says her grandchildren were sexually assaulted at Heaven’s Serenity House, 1207 W. Park Ave. in Orange.

Beth Louviere reports her three grandchildren aged 3, 4, and 6 were molested by an underage person at the shelter.

“There have been three counts filed with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office,” according to Louviere. “The papers were taken there by Sgt. Davis of the Orange Police Department Friday and I am told the office [reviewed them Monday].”

Efforts by The Record Newspapers to contact Orange police, the Orange County DA’s office or Heaven’s Serenity House were unsuccessful by presstime late Monday.

The children and their mother, Emily Cook, were living at the shelter along with William Orval “B.J.” Cook, Emily’s husband, when the incident occurred, Louviere said.

Emily Cook and the children have since moved out of the shelter. William Cook remains there, Louviere said.

Heaven’s Serenity House is listed with nonprofit status as a temporary shelter for the homeless. It receives frequent charitable donations from area businesses.

Louviere alleges the shelter is being used as a halfway house for paroled drug offenders and other parolees, and not a shelter for the homeless.

“I do not believe this shelter is being run as a safe place to bring children and I would like for someone to look into what is really happening there,” she said. “I am doing everything I can do to keep my grandchildren out of that place.”