A 14-year-old girl was reportedly abandoned in a filthy home with pets while her mother and stepfather were away for nearly a year. Marchelle Lynn Pertilla and Eugene Medrano were apprehended after a girl was spotted alone outside a store, feeling unwell. The teenager disclosed that she had been left alone at home with seven dogs since February and hadn’t seen her guardians since October 31.

According to reports, the couple relocated to Florida from Alabama, leaving the girl in deplorable conditions. She resided in a mobile home with seven dogs amidst squalor, feces, urine, roaches, and trash. Tragically, one of the dogs was discovered deceased in a closet.

During her hospital stay, the girl mentioned that she communicated mostly with her parents via Snapchat, and her mother sent food through delivery services. She claimed she was abandoned because she didn’t want to part with her service animals, although it remains unclear if any of the dogs were indeed service animals. Pertilla and Medrano face charges of child abuse and animal cruelty following their arrest.

Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch commended the store employees for promptly assisting the girl and urged the public to report suspicious situations to authorities. He emphasized the importance of vigilance in safeguarding individuals from potential harm.

In a separate incident, a 10-year-old boy was allegedly abandoned at an airport while his parents departed on holiday due to passport issues. An airport staff member at Barcelona–El Prat Airport recounted how the child was left alone at the terminal as his parents boarded a flight earlier in the year.