The parents of two toddlers and a newborn baby were arrested after MPs found the children were living in a house surrounded by rubbish, insects and droppings.
MARYSEE, Fla. – – The parents of two toddlers and a newborn baby were arrested after MPs found the children were living in a house surrounded by rubbish, insects and droppings.
Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) MPs received calls from neighbors who reported hearing children screaming from a Bunnell house.
As the MPs approached the residence, they said they heard a small child scream, “Mom! Mom!” as well as loud popping noises from the house. They said they saw large piles of rubbish near the front door as well as a foul smell coming from the house.
Contact was then made with the children’s mother, Christina Coe, 26, and the father, Gilbert Bridewell, 27. When MPs walked into the house, they said they had seen more rubbish strewn on the floor of all of the bedrooms, “and all of the rooms were in total disarray.”
Gilbert Bridewell, 27, and Christina Coe, 26, were arrested.
In an arrest report, one MP wrote: “I have seen numerous cockroaches roaming the floor, walls, refrigerator and beds. It should be noted that in the master bedroom I observed a pacifier that … several cockroaches in the And there was feces scattered on the bed. “
MPs said Coe told them she was trying “her best” when asked about the condition of the house. When asked when the children last bathed, Coe said the children were bathed at a neighbor’s earlier that day.
However, the MPs found that all of the children were wearing dirty clothes, had their legs and feet covered with dirt, and their diapers had not been changed.
MPs contacted the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) and a case officer arrived to assess the situation. On the recommendation of DCF, all three children at the age of 2, 1 and 7 days were removed from the house and placed in the care of a family member.
“I’m so glad we got these kids out of this house before someone got injured or seriously ill from the conditions in the house,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “Between the trash, insects and human excrement in the house, this situation could have come to a tragic end. Hopefully DCF and other agencies are helping these parents and children get the help they need. It is unfortunate that these conditions and The lack of parental acts worsened to a criminal case. “
Coe and Bridewell were arrested and each charged with three cases of child neglect without causing major harm.
