PALM BAY, Fla. – A man and a woman were arrested Tuesday in Palm Bay after police discovered six children living in unsafe and unsanitary conditions at their home, according to an affidavit.
Officers responded around 7:30 p.m. to the 1200 block of Dillard Drive SE in reference to a Department of Children and Families joint response, the affidavit states.
The two suspects — 42-year-old Nathan Forczyk and 41-year-old Laura Forczyk — are accused of locking the children in separate bedrooms throughout the residence, where investigators said they were found without access to food, water or any restroom facilities besides a child-sized potty-training toilet.
Describing the severely-deteriorated state of the home’s interior, police noted large sections of missing drywall and exposed live wiring, as well as an “overwhelming atmosphere” due to the strong smell and visible presence of excrement, the affidavit states. While officers were there, one of the children also tried to ingest some of the defendants’ medical marijuana, which had been left in plain sight, police said.
Nathan Forczyk and Laura Forczyk were each arrested on six counts of child neglect. Nathan Forczyk has since posted $30,000 bond while Laura Forczyk was being held on the same amount at the time of this report.
Neighbors of the Wellington subdivision near Bayside Lakes told Brevard County Community Correspondent James Sparvero that the six children have autism.
Police told Sparvero that was the Forczyk’s explanation for locking their children in the bedrooms because they’re escape artists.
Lacey Price said the couple even told neighbors to look out for their kids in case they got outside.
Price told Sparvero a story of how she went over to talk to them and when the dad opened the door she got a whiff of what was inside.
“I remember there was like a really strong smell of like cat urine or dog, something, and I was thinking like, well, maybe they just went and they haven’t cleaned it out yet, or something,” she said. “But I was like, that was kind of strange.”
While out on bond, Nathan Forczyk returned home with a police escort to collect his things.
He didn’t want to talk about the case.
Price said if the couple needed help taking care of their kids, they should’ve asked someone.
“I feel, like, if that was going on, you would reach out,” she said. “It’s terrible.”