Florida mom and 2 children lived ‘among feces’ and ‘roaches’ in filthy house that reeked of ‘urine and ammonia,’ police say

Florida authorities arrested a mother for child neglect

Autumn Witt (Indian River County Jail).

A Florida mother was arrested this week for the filthy conditions inside the house where she and her two children, between 1 and 3 years old, lived. The mother is reportedly pregnant again.

An Indian River County Sheriff’s Office deputy was investigating statements about the environment and treatment of children by the mother and her partner, according to law enforcement and court records.

On May 20, a Department of Children and Families investigator and the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office searched the home.

A deputy said in a report that the neglect charges were based on “the possibility of serious long-term health risks” to two children due to the home’s conditions and the mother’s “utter disregard for (their) welfare.”

When the officials arrived at the home, they contacted Witt, who allowed them to enter the house.

The deputies wrote in reports:

“I was immediately struck by the aroma of garbage as I exited my patrol vehicle,” the documents read. “I observed a swarm of flies surrounding the garbage and the front porch area of the house which was littered with empty soda and alcohol containers.”

“I was taken back by an overwhelming stench of urine and feces inside the residence,” the narrative goes on. “Witt stated that there were several cats, a large dog and several lizards living inside the residence and the urine smell was due to her roommates not cleaning up after the animals and also partly due to one of the roommates … urinating on walls inside the home when he is intoxicated.”

“Witt stated that the kitchen sink has not been operable and they are doing the dishes in the bathroom,” the narrative continues. “I observed the kitchen sink to have several dead roaches inside and what appeared to be some type of mold growing on the inside.”

Multiple adults and several pets were said to occupy the residence. A deputy wrote in the report that pet waste, insects, and mold were seen in the home, which had no operating air conditioning and a non-working kitchen sink.

Witt told detectives she had been hospitalized recently due to a bacterial infection, and she had taken one child to a hospital earlier that month.

A deputy on the scene said, “I did not interview [the girl] however I noticed she appeared to not have been bathed recently,” the narrative reads: “[Her] fingernails were black underneath and there were what appeared to be several bug bites on her arms along with scratches that [the girl] stated to [the DCF employee] were from the cat. Witt advised me the bites were from mosquitoes that she scratches and irritates. Witt stated that the bites were present when [the girl] was brought to the ER and nothing was spoken about them. I observed [the girl] playing on the floor with dead bugs and feces while inside the residence.”

The toddlers were removed from the home by the state over the potential for serious health risks due to the presence of biohazard substances that required their immediate removal until conditions improved or were brought up to DCF standards.

“Due to the living conditions in the home, the possibility of serious long term health risks associated, and Witt being the caregiver of the children making no efforts to remedy the living conditions despite being home with the children, having no physical disabilities herself, and being hospitalized herself due to a bacterial infection, I believe Witt to have an utter disregard for the children’s welfare,” the law enforcement narrative concludes.

She is detained in the Indian River County Jail on $50,000 bond.

If you enjoyed reading my article 🙋‍♀️, here are a few ways you can support my writing ✍️:👏 Give it a clap (or several!)💬 Drop a comment or ✏️ share your thoughts/opinions 📝 And don’t forget to hit that follow button 👓!

B A Little, M.Ed. — The Caffeinated Writer — Medium

True Crime Thirst — Medium