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A mother in Florida has been arrested after three children were found living in a home with "deplorable" conditions.
The Flagler County Sheriff's Office announced that Carla Nishikura was arrested and charged with three felony counts of child neglect without great bodily harm.
Deputies responded to a home in Palm Coast, Florida, around 8:40 a.m. on Thursday, July 16, after they received a welfare check call from a neighbor, according to an arrest affidavit viewed by Us. The neighbor reported seeing a child outside the home without clothing, and they returned the child to the home before police arrived.
Responding deputies spoke to Nishikura, 41, upon their arrival, and she told them that the autistic and non-verbal child had escaped through the garage door while she was sleeping after she forgot to zip tie it closed.
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The officers noticed a strong odor that was believed to be fecal matter in the home, as well as saw feces coated the floors, walls and the ceiling in the kitchen and living room. The affidavit also stated that the floor was reportedly covered with fecal matter, cracked eggs and urine.
As investigators continued to inspect the home, they found the electrical outlet covers were cracked and exposed wire in the home was accessible to the children.
Three children appeared to live at the home, and the child who was found outside was reportedly naked and barefoot. Police learned that the children had been sleeping on a couch due to the conditions of the rooms, per the affidavit.
A Department of Children and Families case worker visited the home one day earlier and reported "deplorable living conditions," according to WESH.
Nishikura reportedly told deputies that she had been working with the Department of Children and Families and a cleaning company had been arranged to come to the home. However, the cleaning company declined to clean the home "due to the biohazard conditions," according to the affidavit.
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"One of the children reported they were instructed not to enter [REDACTED] bedroom due to the risk of exposure to the biohazard materials," the affidavit said. "The child stated that the fecal matter in the room had been present for approximately one month and described it as ‘hard as a rock.'"
Nishikura reportedly said that she was aware of the home's condition but was unable to manage the home and children on her own.
Nishikura was arrested on July 16 and was booked into the Flagler County Jail, while she was later charged with the three felony counts. The Flagler County Sheriff's Office confirmed to Us that she is currently being held in custody with a bond of $7,500
It is not currently clear if Nishikura has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following her arrest.
"Thank God for good neighbors who ‘Saw Something and Said Something.' When a little girl was found naked in the street, the entire neighborhood dropped everything to help her. They went door-to-door but most importantly, picked up the phone and called us. It's the only reason why these children are safe today," Sheriff Rick Staly said in a statement obtained by Us. "What deputies found inside that home was sickening. No one, not even a dog, should spend one night living in those conditions."
