A 6-year-old boy in Miami-Dade becomes the hero as he calls 911 to report the abandonment he and his 2-year-old brother are facing in their home near Miami Shores.
The call led authorities to discover the distressing conditions in which the boys were living.
Upon responding to the call on the evening of January 3, Miami-Dade police were confronted with a harrowing scene.
The two boys were found alone in the dark, surrounded by squalor, with no power and no food. Descriptions of the home painted a grim picture of filth, and the boys appeared visibly neglected as if they hadn’t been bathed.
The 6-year-old provided authorities with a contact number for their mother, Demetria Spencer, but attempts to reach her were unsuccessful. The duration the boys were left alone before the 911 call remains unclear.
It took approximately four hours for the Florida Department of Children and Families to arrive and take custody of the children.
Simultaneously, law enforcement spent double that time locating Spencer, who now faces charges of two counts of child neglect causing no great bodily harm—a third-degree felony under child abuse.
Authorities argue that Spencer failed to provide essential care, supervision, and services necessary for the physical and mental well-being of her sons.
Currently detained at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, Spencer’s bond is set at $5,000. If convicted, she could face a sentence ranging from 5 to 15 years in prison, along with a $5,000 fine.
