A Florida man has been arrested for child neglect after a concerned citizen reported finding his unsupervised toddler wandering the streets. This is not the first time the man has faced such charges.
On September 27, a woman delivering groceries called the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) to report that a toddler, estimated to be between 1 and 2 years old, had entered her vehicle and then wandered into an open garage. Deputies responded to the home and found deplorable living conditions inside.
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According to the FCSO, the home was filled with trash, discarded food, and fecal matter. The smell of feces, urine, mold, and mildew was overwhelming. Deputies described the environment as unsafe and horrid, with roaches, flies, and rotting food in the kitchen. Knives and other sharp objects were left within reach of the young children.
The father, 39-year-old Nicholas Carter, admitted that the toddler had been left unsupervised. He claimed the child liked to “hang out” in the garage, where deputies found power tools, exposed wires, and a BB gun within the child’s reach.
Carter was arrested and charged with child neglect. He was also charged with obstruction without violence for allegedly being uncooperative with deputies during his arrest.
This is not Carter’s first encounter with law enforcement regarding child neglect. He was previously arrested on similar charges in 2020. Since January 2023, deputies have responded to the home 16 times for various reasons, including a child found wandering in the roadway and a child having a seizure after ingesting marijuana.
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“Five children, three under the age of 10, living in deplorable conditions with an adult who obviously doesn’t care about these children,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “On top of it all, FCSO has a history with this guy, in one case a child ate marijuana and had a seizure while under this man’s care. Hopefully, this time DCF will take serious action to turn the homelife around for these children, the least of which is to learn how to be a parent and clean up his house. I also thank the citizen that ‘saw something and said something’ so deputies could intervene.”
The Florida Department of Children and Families has been notified about the situation.
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