Parents in Florida have been charged with neglect after their sleeping baby was found with cockroaches crawling over his body – even after his mother flipped his playpen upside down each night to “shake the insects out” and sprayed a tight circle of Raid around it, police say.
The disturbing discovery was made during a welfare check at a Palm Coast apartment that deputies later described as reeking of a “vile and putrid odor” and was covered in animal and insect feces.
Authorities say the Raid spraying did nothing to protect the child, or an 81-year-old family member, both of whom were allegedly left to live in squalor.
Nikolas Anthony Cummings, 32, and Tashaye Driaunah Brown, 31, were arrested Thursday and each charged with one count of cruelty toward a child without great bodily harm, and neglect of an elderly or disabled adult without great bodily harm, court records show.
The investigation began January 13, when Flagler County Fire Rescue responded to a request for a welfare check on an elderly man at home in the W-Section of Palm Coast.
The horrific discovery of the elderly man and a one-year-old living in deplorable conditions prompted them to call in the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Major Case Unit.
When deputies arrived, they reported a “strong pungent odor throughout the residence” and piles of debris, garbage and scraps blocking much of the living space.
In the elderly man’s bedroom, deputies encountered what they described as an “overpowering stench” of urine.
“While assisting the elderly male, insects emerged from the mattress and clothing worn by the elderly male,” police wrote in a probable cause affidavit obtained by Law&Crime. “That same mattress appeared to have been defecated and urinated on, countless times as stains were spread wide, covering almost the entire surface. The pillowcases appeared to be completely discolored with brown and orange stains.”
The man, who had recently returned home from hospital, told investigators he could not walk, feed or change himself, or take his medication without help.
Brown told detectives she and her fiancé moved into the home about two years ago to care for the elderly man after another family member was unable to do so. Cummings told investigators that he and Brown were the man’s sole caretakers. The man was not named.
Deputies then discovered the couple’s one-year-old baby, who was found “sleeping within a Pack ‘n Play in the living room,” the affidavit states. “Roaches and bugs were observed crawling over [the 1-year-old] while he slept.”
When deputies asked the mother to show them the child’s food, she led them to a refrigerator filled with spoiled and expired items, some covered with mold.
Brown told deputies she was aware of the cockroach infestation but said professional extermination was too expensive. Instead, she described a nightly routine she believed protected the child.
“More specifically, each night she flips [the 1-year-old’s] portable enclosure upside down to shake the insects out. Then [Brown] places [the 1-year-old] back inside and sprays a ‘protective’ tight circle of Raid Roach Spray around the immediate base of the enclosure,” investigators wrote.
When deputies returned to the house next day, they found the baby still in the same Pack ’n Play – with roaches inside it.
Despite the insecticide, detectives said they “repeatedly removed insects” from the playpen, but “insects endlessly continued to emerge from the fabric of the enclosure.” Investigators also noted concerns about the “hazardous ingredients” in the Raid spray used around the infant.
Black spots believed to be roach droppings, mold, or a combination of both were found throughout the home, including along walls, ceilings, open electrical outlets and around HVAC vents.
Detectives concluded that Brown and Cummings showed “willful disregard” for the care of both victims.
“The deplorable conditions of that house were no place for a toddler or a senior with serious medical issues,” Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said.
“These two feigned ignorance over the trash, feces and insects covering the floors, walls and the victims inside the home. 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. We will make sure their cells are clean at the Green Roof Inn.”
The elderly man was transported to a local hospital for treatment, and the baby was placed with family members. The Florida Department of Children and Families is conducting a separate investigation.
Brown and Cummings were booked into the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where they were being held on a $15,000 bond. They are scheduled to be in court on February 4.
