Florida Woman Arrested After Boy Is Found Locked in a Home Filled With Fleas, Urine, and Dog Feces
A Florida woman is now behind bars after police officers rescued a boy locked in a home filled with fleas, dog feces, and urine, according to a recently published article.
The Okaloosa Sheriff's Office received a call from a concerned citizen about a boy who was locked up by a 58-year-old woman named Toni Reid in the Fort Walton Beach Area. The Okaloosa Sheriff deputies said that when they arrived at the home on April 22, they found the 6-year old boy hiding in a closet.
The deputies who responded and rescued the child said that they were covered with fleas while they were in the home.
Aside from the child, the deputies also found three dogs inside the house. One of the dogs was covered with flies and unable to walk. Moreover, the house was filled with dog feces, urine, and flies.
On the official Facebook page of Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, they wrote, "Dog feces and urine were spread throughout the home. There were also an abundance of flies, multiple knives within the victim's reach in the kitchen, as well as multiple chemicals on kitchen counters."
They also added: "In addition, deputies discovered the child had only a bare mattress in her bedroom, with a large hole down to the inner springs. Fleas were found on the child. Deputies also reported becoming covered in fleas while at the residence."
In another recently published report, when Toni Reid was asked about the said incident, she did not give any comments as if nothing happened. However, she was informed that they were removing child care from her due to neglect.
Instead of asking about the condition of the child, she instead showed her concern about the dogs and made arrangements for their new home.
Reid insisted that she kept the home clean and blamed the boy for the condition of her home. She said that if the place was dirty, it was because the boy made it that way.
Meanwhile, the Okaloosa Sheriff's County Office did not specify the relationship between the woman and the child. However, due to the said incident, Reid was charged with child neglect and was served a warrant on May 1.
It is still not clear until now as to the reason for locking up the child inside the home with three dogs covered with fleas, urine, and dog feces.
Many netizens showed sympathy to the child on the official page of the County Sheriff's office. One said: "So glad the child found the courage and the opportunity to seek help. Praying for healing for this child and the ability to have a full life ahead and leaving her past behind. Thank you, Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, for rescuing her."
Another one wrote: "The little child was in my daughter's class last year! Praying for the child gets placed in a caring, loving home. This breaks my heart!"
While some shared their sympathy for the child, others are quite skeptical about the relationship between the boy and the woman.
One wrote: "Out of an abundance of caution Okaloosa County Sheriff's Dept, you should ensure that six years old is indeed, her biological child and not a missing child. Although it's not unheard of for a 52 yr old to have a baby, it may be indicative as to why there was such neglect if the child wasn't really hers, clearly she had no love for this child. Sad."
Meanwhile, the County Sheriff's Office replied to this comment. It said: "Just for clarification, the identities of victims of child abuse/neglect are protected, and we did not specify the nature of relationships between the defendant and the victim. Thanks so much."