Deltona deputies find a 4-year-old boy waist-deep in a retention pond. Then they walk into his home and find the source of an overwhelming smell

Deputies in Deltona arrested 25-year-old Fermin Medrano-Perez and 24-year-old Jeneixa Rodriguez-Crespo on charges of child neglect and animal cruelty following a discovery at their residence. The situation began Saturday morning when the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office received a report about a young boy wandering by himself near a retention pond, FOX 32 Chicago reports

Deputies arrived at the scene and found the 4-year-old boy in the water, where he was standing waist-deep. They managed to safely pull the child out of the pond and determined where he lived. When the deputies walked into the house to investigate, they encountered an overwhelming smell and conditions inside the home that officials described as “deplorable.”

The environment included a roach infestation, mold, and large amounts of animal waste. Deltona Animal Control also arrived at the house to help, and they took custody of a dog that was found neglected and kept in a cage.

The parents are now facing legal consequences for the state of the home and the treatment of the child and the animal

Authorities have not yet shared information on how long the boy was left by himself or how he managed to reach the retention pond. It is also unclear how long the family had been living in these specific conditions.

The 4-year-old is currently in the care of a grandparent, and the Florida Department of Children and Families is involved to handle the follow-up process. This is a difficult situation, and we hope the child receives the care he needs moving forward. We are waiting for more information to understand the timeline of these events, but for now, the authorities are keeping those details private.

It is important to remember that these charges are based on the initial findings of the deputies who entered the home. The investigation is ongoing, and more facts may emerge as the legal process continues. The involvement of the Florida Department of Children and Families is a standard step in these cases, and they will likely work to ensure the child stays in a safe environment.

The public will have to wait for further updates from the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office to learn the full scope of what happened inside the home. For now, the parents remain in custody as the case proceeds through the legal system.