FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. \u2013 A Palm Coast couple was arrested this week after a welfare check revealed \u201cdeplorable\u201d living conditions inside their home, according to the Flagler County Sheriff\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n
In a release, deputies said that a member of Flagler County Fire Rescue asked for a welfare check after helping an elderly man at a home in the W-section of Palm Coast.<\/p>\n
According to investigators, the FCFR member noticed bedding that was heavily soiled with feces and urine, as well as live cockroaches, droppings, and garbage scattered throughout the home.<\/p>\n
Deputies said they then responded to the residence, and after the welfare check was completed, they reached out to the Florida Department of Children and Families.<\/p>\n
\u201cInside the residence, Major Case Unit detectives immediately observed a pungent odor of urine emanating from the home, as well as spoiled food and feces scattered throughout,\u201d the release reads.<\/p>\n
But while speaking with Tashaye Brown, 31, about the condition of the home, detectives said they observed an infant inside a Pack \u2018n Play that was infested with cockroaches.<\/p>\n
Tashaye Brown, 31 (Flagler County Sheriff’s Office)<\/p>\n
Brown told detectives that she was aware of the infestation, but it was too expensive to hire a professional, deputies added.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs such, she would turn the Pack \u2018n Play upside down and shake the insects out, place the infant back inside, and then spray a circle of cockroach insecticide around the base of the Pack \u2018n Play,\u201d the release continues.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, investigators said they found black spots along open electrical outlets that appeared to be roach droppings, as well as black spots along the walls and ceilings, and mold around the HVAC system vents.<\/p>\n
[BELOW: Body-camera footage shows Brown\u2019s arrest in Palm Coast]<\/p>\n
Detectives also said they spoke with an elderly man, who explained that he\u2019d just returned home from the hospital and that a nurse who used to come to this home to \u201caddress his medical needs\u201d no longer works there, and he doesn\u2019t know who is supposed to help him.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe elderly man \u2014 who was unable to walk, feed or change himself, or take his medication without assistance \u2014 had scabs on his legs and insects emerging from his socks,” the release notes.<\/p>\n
Brown reportedly told investigators that she and her fianc\u00e9, 32-year-old Nikolas Cummings, had moved into the home about two years ago to care for the elderly man, as her cousin was unable to care for him.<\/p>\n
Nikolas Cummings, 32 (Flagler County Sheriff’s Office)<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Cummings told investigators that he and Brown were the elderly man\u2019s sole providers and caretakers, deputies said.<\/p>\n
\u201cUpon completion of their investigation, detectives determined that the elderly victim\u2019s son was not mentally or physically capable of caring for him and that Brown and Cummings were the sole responsible parties for the elderly victim\u2019s care, and that they showed willful disregard for the care of both victims,\u201d deputies explained.<\/p>\n
[BELOW: Body-camera footage shows Cummings\u2019 arrest in Palm Coast]<\/p>\n
As a result, both Cummings and Brown were taken into custody on charges of child neglect without great bodily harm and neglect of an elderly\/disabled adult without great bodily harm. They are held on a $15,000 bond.<\/p>\n
After the arrests, Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly issued the following statement:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe deplorable conditions of that house were no place for a toddler or a senior with serious medical issues. These two feigned ignorance over the trash, feces and insects covering the floors, walls and victims inside their home. <\/p>\n
This was not a matter of money; they did not care about the hygiene of their home, the welfare of their child, or the medical needs of their family members. They put in zero effort. <\/p>\n
We will make sure their cells are clean at the Green Roof Inn.\u201d<\/p>\n
Flagler County Sheriff Rick StalyBreaking News Alerts<\/p>\n
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