Couple forced man with disabilities to live in ‘squalor’ in backyard, Florida cops say
A man with intellectual disabilities was forced by his caretaker to live in a hut in the backyard of a Florida home, police said.
St. Petersburg Police were contacted by the Department of Children and Families after reports that a non-verbal man was being forced to live outside, according to an Aug. 10 news release.
Officers went to the home and found the 22-year-old man “living in squalor” behind the house, police said.
“The victim was forced to sleep outside and sometimes stay in a makeshift hut in the backyard,” police said. “He was not allowed inside the house and had not bathed. He was covered in feces.”
The man appeared to be malnourished, and while he was given food by his caretaker, the man also ate trash out of garbage cans outside, St. Petersburg Police spokeswoman Ashley Limardo told WFLA.
“No one, no matter the circumstances, should be living in these types of living conditions,” Limardo told the outlet.
The man was living outside as St. Petersburg has been under heat advisory warnings and temperatures and heat index consistently reach into the 90s and above, according to the National Weather Service.
Police said the man was under the care of the 56-year-old homeowner and his 59-year-old live-in girlfriend, according to the release.
The caretaker and his girlfriend were both charged with neglect of a disabled adult, police said.
“We would like to remind our residents that if you see something, say something,” police said. “There are resources in our community available to our vulnerable residents. There is no reason for anyone to live under these conditions.”
The Florida Abuse Hotline is available 24 hours a day and seven days a week, and can be reached at 1-800-96-ABUSE.
This story was originally published August 11, 2023 at 12:01 PM with the headline "Couple forced man with disabilities to live in ‘squalor’ in backyard, Florida cops say."
