A Sweetwater couple was charged with neglect after police found their child was living in filthy conditions, police said.
Francisca Leal, 28, and Rafael Osmany Naranjo, 25, were arrested Tuesday and face charges of child neglect with no great bodily harm, according to arrest reports.
Miami-Dade Police were responding to a call of a possible burglary at the mobile home in the 1100 block of NW 4th Terrace, off Flagler Street and the Ronald Reagan Turnpike, when they saw Leal and the child in dirty, soiled clothing, the report said.
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Police observed a foul odor coming from inside the home, and upon entering, found dog feces, urine and flies everywhere, the report said.
The kitchen was full of dirty dishes and spoiled food, multiple electrical cables were coming out of the walls, police said, and a cleaning chemical powder was scattered all over the floor.
The condition of the house prompted police to call Sweetwater code enforcement, which deemed the home uninhabitable.
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"I feel really bad," Leal told NBC 6 after she posted bond Wednesday. "I feel so bad that it hurts so much because that's not fair, they weren't supposed to do that. Who are they to tell me that my house is not liveable?"
The child, who had been sleeping the entire time police were there, hadn't eaten since the day before, police said. The couple also told officers they haven't had running water since last week.
The couple, who has since bailed out of jail, had their first court appearance Wednesday, where a judge prohibited them from approaching or contacting the child.
The child remains in the care of the Department of Children and Families.
"They took my kids, my dog, my house, they took everything," Leal said. "That's not fair. They're putting us on the streets."
