“Just Evil” – Burning Mattress Leads Authorities To Captive Child
Florida investigators say young boy set fire to his mattress in an attempt to escape after being kept locked in dark, filthy room for several months by his parents. WFLA's Christine McLarty reports.
(WFLA/NBC News) — A Florida couple is facing child abuse charges after one of their children set a mattress on fire to escape the “deplorable” conditions of their bedroom.
The Pasco Sheriff’s Office said Kelley Davis, 36, and Daniel Davis, 37, of Spring Hill have six children ranging from infant to 10-years-old, but have kept just one of them locked in a bedroom with no power, no toys or games, and no extra furniture since at least March.
The sheriff’s office initially responded to the home Monday morning after reports of an arson in progress. When deputies arrived, they discovered one of the couple’s children had set fire to their mattress in order to escape their bedroom.
Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said the parents admitted to deputies that the dogs in their house had better living conditions that the young boy.
“What these individuals did was just evil,” said Sheriff Nocco. “Pictures will never give justice to what this child went through, you don’t see the bugs and you’ll never feel the emotional neglect he felt,” said Sheriff Nocco.
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