In a troubling incident that unfolded in Florida on March 16, a 2-year-old toddler was found wandering alone in the middle of a street, wearing pajamas and a heavily soiled diaper. This alarming situation ultimately led law enforcement to uncover a home filled with hazardous living conditions and a disoriented father.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Department received multiple emergency calls about the child’s situation. Witnesses reported seeing the toddler alone outside a nearby house before taking the child inside, where they discovered 44-year-old Ross Judy, the child's father, passed out in bed due to apparent intoxication.
Upon their arrival, deputies were met with a scene that can only be described as shocking. Inside and outside the home, authorities found a disturbing array of dangerous tools, overwhelming garbage, and filth. The conditions were exacerbated by the presence of animal feces and an emaciated dog suffering from severe neglect, including a nearly rotted ear and patches of missing fur.
“The residence was in deplorable living conditions, with several empty alcoholic beverage containers, bugs infesting the toilet water, and a sink piled high with cigarette ash so thick that the sink itself was barely visible,” reported the Flagler County Sheriff’s Department. They also uncovered pill bottles strewn across the living room and spare room, alongside exposed razors and hypodermic needles—items frighteningly accessible to the young child.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly expressed his grave concern in a statement following the incident, saying, “No child should be living in such deplorable conditions with an adult who clearly doesn’t care about their wellbeing. The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has no tolerance for anyone endangering children or animals. I am thankful to our residents who ‘saw something and said something’ so that our deputies could intervene.”
As a result of the incident, Ross Judy was arrested and charged with child neglect without great bodily harm and abandoning an animal to die or suffer from sickness or disease. He has been taken to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility and is currently held on a $4,000 bond.
The Florida Department of Children and Families, along with Palm Coast Animal Control, is actively investigating the situation, and updates are expected as their inquiries continue.
This harrowing incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of community vigilance. When you see something suspicious, don’t hesitate to alert the authorities. Your actions could make a world of difference in the life of a vulnerable child or animal.
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