The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
A 39-year-old father was arrested in Florida after deputies discovered his five children were allegedly living in squalor.
On the evening of September 27, a youngster wandered into a woman’s car as she delivered groceries. Concerned about the child’s safety, she notified the authorities.
Deputies from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office responded and spoke with the father of the child. When asked, he allowed the deputies to come inside. Upon entering, they reportedly found the home in a deplorable state. They reported that the children, aged 2, 4, 8, 15, and 16, were found in the house. All five children were living in the residence with their father, their mother, and a roommate who had been there for approximately 2 years.
The dwelling was allegedly filled with trash, feces, urine, and rotten food. The kitchen was reportedly filled with dirty dishes, spoiled food, and insects. The smell was reported as being overwhelming. In the laundry room, the deputies reportedly found multiple piles of fecal matter that appeared to have been there for days. In the bedroom where the younger children slept, the floor was reportedly covered with dirty clothes, garbage, and urine. Two beds without boxsprings and blankets were in the room, and the closet had feces on the floor with flies buzzing around the mess.
According to reports, when they looked around in the garage, the deputies found power tools, a BB gun, and a pipe they believed was used to smoke marijuana within reach of the children.
The father was taken into custody and booked into the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility on suspicion of child neglect without great bodily harm. He was released after posting bond.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a domestic violence offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.