FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – A 41-year-old Palm Coast woman was arrested Thursday after deputies say three children were found living in unsafe, unsanitary conditions — including one child who was reported wandering outside naked.
According to an arrest affidavit from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded around 8:41 a.m. July 16 to a welfare check after a neighbor reported seeing a child outside the home without clothing. The child was found by a neighbor and brought back to the residence before deputies arrived.
Deputies made contact with Carla Nishikura, 41, who told the responding deputy the child had left the home through the garage while she was sleeping. The affidavit states the child is diagnosed with autism, is non-verbal and has a history of eloping.
Nishikura also told deputies that she typically secures interior door handles with zip ties but forgot to do so the night before, which allowed the child to open doors and leave the house.
Inside the residence, the deputy reported noticing a strong odor consistent with fecal matter. The affidavit says feces was observed coating floors, walls and the ceiling in the kitchen and living room. The child involved in the welfare check was described as naked and barefoot, and two additional children were also inside the home, according to the report.
A bedroom in the home contained only a bed frame without a mattress, the affidavit states, and the floor was described as covered with fecal matter, cracked eggs and urine.
“During the investigation, I observed [REDACTED] using a tool to scrape fecal matter from the wall and manipulate it with her hands,” one deputy wrote.
Deputies also noted cracked electrical outlet covers exposing wiring that was accessible to children.
Investigators revealed that a cleaning crew had previously been set up to take care of the home, though the crew ultimately declined “due to the biohazard conditions.”
“One of the children reported they were instructed not to enter [REDACTED] bedroom due to the risk of exposure to the biohazard materials,” the affidavit continues. “The child stated that the fecal matter in the room had been present for approximately one month and described it as ‘hard as a rock.’”
According to investigators, Nishikura acknowledged that she was aware of the home’s condition but claimed that she was unable to manage the home and children on her own.
Regardless, Nishikura was arrested and now faces three felony counts of child neglect without great bodily harm, records show. Bond was listed at $2,500 per count.