A Florida man and woman were arrested after police allegedly discovered their five children alone in a house without food, electricity, or a working toilet.
Sanel Canovic, 40, and Azra Nikocevic, 33, are each charged with five counts of child neglect without bodily harm, according to court records.
The Miami Beach Police Department’s spokesman, Christopher Bess, told Law&Crime The investigation began Tuesday afternoon, when a passerby on the 700 block of 15th Street, a high-traffic area, noticed a 6-year-old boy crossing the street alone. The passerby called 911, and cops found the little boy, who led them to his nearby apartment.
What cops discovered was shocking — and it landed the parents in jail. Bess reported that there were four other children inside, all under the age of twelve.
Bess reported that there was no electricity, working toilets, or food. The children stated that they hadn’t eaten in over 12 hours and were hungry. Officers took the children to the police station and fed them while they attempted to locate their parents.
“They were nowhere to be found,” Bess explained.
WTVJ, a Miami NBC affiliate, obtained an arrest affidavit that provided additional information about the children’s situation. Officers discovered that the toilet in the house was full of feces.
The children allegedly told them that their parents made them take showers after using the bathroom because there was no toilet paper in the apartment. Cops found soiled rags in the bathroom. According to the affidavit, the children wore soiled clothing and smelled of urine.
They also claimed to have been without electricity for about two months, according to the affidavit. The oldest daughter explained that they usually ate breakfast and lunch at school, but because they were on Christmas break, they frequently had nothing to eat. Their mother reportedly left them $20 at McDonald’s before leaving for work on Tuesday.
“The parents would frequently share an evening meal without providing food for the children,” the affidavit allegedly stated. “They would often leave the children at home while they went out to dinner.”
Officers finally located the mother and instructed her to go to the police station. She explained that they were behind on their bills, so the electricity was turned off about six weeks ago.
Nikocevic also confirmed that she gave her children $20 for food but had no way of knowing if they ate anything because they couldn’t reach her at work.
Canovic arrived at the police station, but refused to speak with officers without a lawyer. Cops took him to the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Facility, where he is currently on a $7,500 bond. Nikocevic was released under her own recognizance. Their next court date is scheduled for January 30.
