A Gwinnett mother was arrested after authorities found her children alone and her house in filthy condition, authorities said.
Araceli Garcia bonded out of the Gwinnett County jail Thursday after being charged with three counts of cruelty to children (deprivation in the first degree) and three counts of reckless conduct, Gwinnett sheriff spokeswoman Shannon Volkodav said in an email.
The children, ages 8, 7, and 3, are now in the custody of the state Division of Family and Children’s Services, Channel 2 Action News reported.
Police originally came to the Buford neighborhood because of a theft case, Channel 2 reported. When they went to the front door of the house in the 2100 block of Mina Lane Drive, they found the children home alone. The house had feces in an upstairs bathroom sink, toilets clogged with feces, and a bin in each bedroom with urine within, according to the arrest warrants.
The house “was covered in trash, dirty clothes, and rotting food infested with insects,” according to the warrants. Steak knives were lying on several floors, and the children had not been fed in a day and a half.
“You’ve got to use a mask to get in that house,” one neighbor told Channel 2.
About the Author
