A 24-year-old Florida woman was arrested Thursday after police said her 5-year-old son was found malnourished and living in filthy conditions.
An investigator with the Department of Children and Families went to Naomi Hall’s home in Daytona Beach to follow up on a child-neglect investigation.
The investigator found the child lying on the living room floor, according to a police report. The investigator said the child appeared to be extremely dehydrated, thin and had dry skin.
She also noted in the report that the living room and carpet were “filthy” and she saw cereal scraps on the floor that the child was attempting to eat.
Hall told the investigator she did not give the boy his medications, and admitted that the child went without food for three to four days at a time, according to a report.
Hall also allegedly told the investigator that she made no attempt to feed the child.
The child, who could not speak or stand, was given medical attention and was found to weigh 24.9 pounds, and was so underweight he was not even on the growth chart.
Hall told the investigator she would “randomly” check on her son and would know if the boy was hungry when he would try to “chew on his hands,” or by his facial expressions, since he was never taught to speak or communicate.
She said medication that had been prescribed to the child earlier did not work and made him sleepy.
The boy was then taken to Halifax Hospital where doctors noted that his hands and feet were orange, dry and peeling.
They also said he had a high sodium level, which is a sign of dehydration.
The 5-year-old was taken to the ICU, where medical staff will monitor his weight and lab work.
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