A Florida woman is facing six counts of child neglect after police discovered six young children allegedly left alone inside a home filled with human waste, dirty diapers and rotting food.
The disturbing discovery began when officers spotted a young boy wandering along a busy road in Tallahassee in the middle of the night, narrowly escaping being struck by a passing vehicle.
What police found after following the child home was even more alarming.
Jamie Jakes, 29, was arrested Sunday, October 4, after officers discovered the children living in conditions they described as unfit for human habitation.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Tallahassee police officers were patrolling near Lake Bradford Road around 3:10 a.m. when they noticed a vehicle swerve to avoid hitting a child in the roadway.
Officers immediately approached the boy to make sure he was safe.
As they investigated, they encountered two more children who appeared to be without adult supervision.
One child was wearing only jeans, while two others had nothing on except wet, soiled diapers.
The children directed officers to their nearby home, where police quickly realized the situation was far worse than they initially suspected.
Inside the residence, officers discovered three additional children sleeping together on a mattress without clothing.
No adult was present.
Police attempted to find clean clothes for the children but struggled to locate anything suitable.
According to investigators, most of the clothing scattered throughout the house was damp and smelled strongly of mildew.
The officers then began examining the children’s living conditions.
What they documented became the basis for six criminal charges.
“As I entered the home, I found it unlivable,” one responding officer wrote in the arrest affidavit.
Investigators reported finding what appeared to be human feces and urine scattered across the living room floor.
Dirty diapers, garbage and partially eaten food were allegedly strewn throughout the residence.
Police described mattresses that were soaking wet and rooms filled with trash.
The kitchen offered little relief.
When officers opened the refrigerator, they reportedly found no edible food, only spoiled liquid accumulated at the bottom.
The freezer contained freezer-burned food and insects, according to the affidavit.
Even more concerning, investigators said the children complained of being hungry and could not remember when they had last eaten.
Officers immediately became concerned about whether the children had been receiving adequate meals, clean clothing or appropriate supervision.
One of the boys told police that Jakes had left for the store approximately two hours earlier.
But after interviewing witnesses, investigators began to suspect the children had been left without adult supervision for much longer.
According to the affidavit, police believe the children may have been alone since approximately 5 p.m. Saturday, meaning they could have spent much of the night without a responsible adult in the home.
Jakes returned to the property around 6 a.m. Sunday, where officers were waiting to question her.
She was subsequently taken into custody.
During an interview with investigators, Jakes offered an explanation for why the children had been left at the house.
She claimed she paid an acquaintance $150 a week to help watch them.
According to police, Jakes said the man was supposed to check on the children four times between Thursday and Sunday.
She also reportedly told officers that she sometimes brought food to his home for safekeeping.
Her explanation for storing food elsewhere raised additional concerns.
Jakes claimed the arrangement prevented the children from eating all the food or wasting it, according to court documents.
However, when investigators contacted the man she identified, his account contradicted hers.
The acquaintance denied having any paid childcare agreement with Jakes.
He told officers he occasionally helped the family when he could but was not responsible for supervising the six children.
Investigators also questioned Jakes about the filthy conditions inside the residence.
She reportedly insisted that the house had been clean the previous day.
Police challenged that explanation, noting that the condition of the floors, accumulated waste and spoiled food suggested the problems had existed longer.
Jakes also told investigators that the family was preparing to move but that their new residence would not be available until October 31.
The explanation did not resolve the officers’ concerns about the children’s immediate living conditions.
Police ultimately accused Jakes of failing to provide the basic care and supervision necessary to protect the children’s health and safety.
She was arrested and charged with six counts of child neglect, one for each child involved.
Following her arrest, Jakes appeared in court on October 5 and was granted pretrial release.
According to local reporting, the conditions of her release include avoiding alcohol, committing no new crimes and having no contact with the children identified in the case.
The Florida Department of Children and Families is also investigating the allegations.
Authorities have not publicly detailed the children’s current living arrangements, and their exact ages have not all been disclosed.
The case highlights how quickly an unsupervised child can face serious danger, particularly when a young child wanders into traffic.
Florida law requires caregivers to provide children with appropriate supervision and essential necessities, including food, clothing and safe shelter. Under state law, child neglect allegations can involve either a single serious failure to provide care or repeated failures that place a child’s health or welfare at risk.
However, prosecutors must still establish that the evidence meets the legal requirements for a conviction.
For investigators, the case began with a chance encounter on a roadway that could have ended in tragedy.
Instead, the officers’ intervention led them to five additional children and what police described as deeply troubling living conditions.
She wasn’t home because she was out with boyfriend number seven, making more babies .