Dad had 5 kids living in ‘deplorable conditions’ with roaches and feces, Florida cops say
A father of five is accused of child neglect after deputies say they found roaches, feces and rotting food at his Florida home.
The 39-year-old man was arrested Sept. 27 at his home in Palm Coast after authorities determined his children — all between the ages of 2 and 16 — were living in “deplorable conditions,” according to a Flagler County Sheriff’s Office news release.
Deputies did a welfare check on the household on Barley Lane after receiving a call from a grocery delivery driver who said an unattended 2-year-old wandered into her vehicle.
The sheriff’s office said it notified the Florida Department of Children and Families.
McClatchy News reached out to the department Oct. 1 but did not receive a response.
According to the sheriff’s office, the man, whom McClatchy News is not naming to protect the identity of his children, lives in the house with his kids, their mother and a roommate.
Deputies said they smelled feces, urine, mold and mildew inside the home and saw “several clumps of fuzzy fecal matter” in the laundry room. They also found roaches, rotting food, exposed wires and sharp objects throughout the house and accessible to the kids, according to the sheriff’s office.
The man is accused of describing the living conditions as “a little dirty.”
The roommate, who has been living with the family for the past two years, told authorities the conditions were “frowned upon.”
According to records, the the sheriff’s office has responded to the home on 16 different occasions since January 2023. In December, the man called the fire department after the sheriff’s office said one of his kids ingested marijuana and had a seizure.
The 39-year-old was also arrested and charged with child neglect in 2020, the release said.
“Hopefully, this time DCF will take serious action to turn the homelife around for these children,” Sheriff Rick Staly said in the statement.
This story was originally published October 2, 2024 at 10:49 AM with the headline "Dad had 5 kids living in ‘deplorable conditions’ with roaches and feces, Florida cops say."
