A Florida couple was arrested Tuesday after police discovered three children in their care were living in "deplorable" conditions at their home, authorities said.
Officers initially responded to a call about an argument between neighbors at the home of Michelle Sofia, 38, in Bunnell, where she lived with her live-in boyfriend, 41-year-old Willie London, and her three children, aged 11, 12 and 17, the Bunnell Police Department said.
When officers arrived, their priorities changed upon uncovering the living conditions inside the house.
Officers described what they found inside as "deplorable," observing "layers of dirt, piles of soiled clothing, layers of feces and piles of rat droppings throughout the residence."
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Police said two broken refrigerators inside the home contained moldy food and bugs, while a third working fridge had only condiments inside. Dirty dishes were piled atop the kitchen counters and stove as live cockroaches skittered on the counter and between the dishes.
Some of the bedrooms did not have a mattress, and because there was no running water, what appeared to be human feces covered in active flies filled a bathroom toilet, according to authorities. The home, however, did have electricity.
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"I didn’t think it was that bad," Sofia reportedly told investigators.
The children were removed from the home and placed into the care of Florida Department of Children and Family Services.
Sofia and London were each arrested and charged with three counts of child neglect. They were being held on no bond at the Flagler County Inmate Facility.
