VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – A Deltona man is accused of leaving his 3-year-old son unattended last month with his wife, who later died under the influence of narcotics, the Volusia County Sheriff's Office.
Barry Wartell, 37, left for work on April 20, leaving the child alone with his wife, Amanda Wartell, 41, deputies said. Barry Wartell told deputies that before he left, he knew his wife was under the influence of prescription drugs for back pain.
Wartelll told detectives that his wife was on prescription drugs for most of their 17-year marriage. Most recently she had back problems after she was hit by a truck in January. Amanda Wartell had overdosed three times in the last year, he said.
Their oldest daughter came home from school to find her mother face down on the floor in the master bedroom, according to the arrest report.
Barry Wartell came home from work and tried waking Amanda Wartell up by rolling her over. He told deputies he knew she was dead when he saw that her face was blue, and he called the Sheriff's Office.
Deltona Fire Rescue crews pronounced Amanda Wartell dead at the scene.
Deputies contacted the Department of Children and Families because of the "deplorable conditions of the home" and that the child was likely home alone all day with his dead mother, according to the report.
Detectives said there was animal feces and food all over the floor, and they found numerous empty pill bottles and food in the cluttered bedroom, where the body was found.
Barry Wartell said he left the boy in his room before leaving for work. He tried calling his wife three times the day she died at 1:42 pm., 1:46 p.m. and 2:17 p.m. with no answer, but he did not attempt to check on his wife in any other way, detectives said.
The couple's oldest daughter came home from school around 5 p.m. and found her mother, the report showed. The girl told detectives that before she went to school, she woke her mother up at 7 a.m. and said she believed that her mother was already high based on the way she was acting.
Amanda Wartell's parents told detectives that their daughter's relationship with her husband was both physically and emotionally abusive. She was diagnosed bipolar after her son was born. The baby was born addicted to pain medication and the child's grandparents did not meet him until he was almost 2 years old, Amanda Wartell's parents told detectives.
Detectives reviewed video surveillance from inside the home that showed Barry Wartell slapping his wife and holding her down on the bed with his forearm, before he left for work. She was alive when he left at 7:30 a.m.
Amanda Wartell spent the remainder of the day on the side of the bed, where she was found, with the 3-year-old child in and out of the room, according to video surveillance. Detectives said it was not clear exactly when she died, but that the child went over to her multiple times during the day.
Barry Wartell is charged with child neglect for leaving the 3-year-old boy alone with his wife when he knew she was impaired, detectives said.
DCF is also investigating the incident.