A Florida mother was arrested Tuesday when she returned home from a two-week trip to Las Vegas, abandoning her child and multiple dogs alone in a trash- and feces-filled home in Palatka.
Putnam County deputies responded to a call for a welfare check Monday night before Jessica Copeland, 37, returned home, WJXT reported. They found an adult who told them everything was fine and even brought out a teenager.
“The child came outside, talked to deputies, and told them everything was fine,” officials said. “There were no issues.”
No issues until another family member contacted the sheriff’s office and this time provided video evidence of the interior of the home.
Deputies returned and made contact with a child they said was “in control of the residence.” That child told them their mother, Copeland, had left for Las Vegas on July 21 without leaving adequate resources. The child said they had to “rely on others to bring him food.”
Inside the home, deputies found “poop everywhere” and large bowls of water that contained various insects.”
“[The child] stated that [the home] has been that way for years,” deputies wrote. “He stated this is the way Jessica keeps the house and [she] refuses to clean”
Large dogs were found emaciated in the home, clearly without water or food. Water that was available wasn’t clean.
The sheriff’s office said the dogs were taken to animal control and will be rehabilitated, although they will require veterinary care.
Copeland is in jail without bond on multiple felony charges, including child neglect and animal cruelty. The child is said to be “safe.”
