ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A four-year-old boy is permanently scarred after a man allegedly burned him with cigarettes. He and a 1-year-old girl were reportedly living in "utter filth" and unsafe conditions at a home in St. Petersburg, police said. The children have been taken from the home, authorities added.
The man allegedly responsible for burning the boy was arrested and now faces multiple counts of child neglect and abuse. A woman living at the home was also arrested and charged with child neglect, affidavits show.
A St. Pete police spokesperson said the agency's investigation began shortly before 6 a.m. on Feb. 2 after someone called to report that two people inside the home appeared unresponsive.
Fire rescue crews responded, with police as backup, per standard protocol, police said. According to the affidavit, when first responders arrived they found 49-year-old Nathan Larkins and 31-year-old Cortney Poling "passed out" and "surrounded" by drug paraphernalia including a marijuana pipe, crack pipe and crack cocaine.
As the investigation continued, police say they located the two children in the home. At least one child was found behind a "flimsy" baby safety gate that was "easy" to remove, meaning they could have easy access to the drugs that were "in plain view."
The door was reportedly taken off its hinges and was only resting against the frame. Throughout the house, there was rotting food and cigarette butts on the floor. "Utter filth," including rot and mold, was also found in the home. Open buckets of urine were strewn about the residence. Additionally, "easily accessible" knives and other dangerous items to kids were found in the home.
When checking the fridge, investigators reportedly found random condiments, one pack of bologna and eggs. Nothing else, however, that would help kids maintain nutrition, police said.
Both children were found to have lice, other undetermined bites and rashes on their bodies. The children "obviously" had not been bathed or cleaned recently, the affidavit said.
Once the children were taken from the home, investigators learned the 4-year-old had burns all over his chest and arms. Further investigation revealed Larkins allegedly burned the little boy multiple times with cigarettes. While the burns had healed, permanent scars had formed, police said.
The children reportedly had lived in the home for about three months; however, police noted that a week before this investigation, an overdose was reported at the residence.
