A couple was apprehended following the discovery of their 14-year-old daughter living in appalling conditions inside a caravan with seven dogs, one of which was deceased. The teenager was found wandering down a street complaining of stomach pain and dizziness, leading to the arrest of her mother and stepfather on charges of child neglect.
Marchelle Pertilla, 43, and Eugene Medrano, 52, are facing allegations of child abuse. Pertilla is additionally accused of six counts of second-degree cruelty towards dogs, while Medrano faces five similar charges. These charges were filed by the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office in Alabama.
The incident came to light when an employee at a Dollar General store noticed the distressed girl and alerted the authorities. The girl disclosed that she had been living alone in the mobile home since February 2025. Although her mother reportedly sent her food and supplies through deliveries, she was living in deplorable conditions.
The trailer where the girl resided was described as filthy, with a dead dog found in a closet and the surroundings covered in urine, feces, insects, and trash. The girl revealed that her mother and stepfather were residing in Florida while she was left alone in Alabama.
Upon investigation, it was revealed that the girl insisted on staying with her service animals, which led to her being left alone. The parents visited her in the hospital and were subsequently charged. Authorities found a total of three dogs outside, three inside, and one deceased in the closet.
Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch expressed concern over the situation, questioning why the girl was left alone and if others had attempted to alert law enforcement. A handwritten note discovered in the girl’s room indicated her repeated requests for her mother’s presence, highlighting the emotional toll of the neglect.
Sheriff Burch emphasized the emotional abuse inflicted on the child, emphasizing the distress of being abandoned at such a young age. The authorities are actively seeking more information to understand the circumstances surrounding the girl’s abandonment.