She cared for three children. They were alone without food or water for days, cops say
A Palm Beach County woman is accused of leaving three children alone for days without food or water, a situation that police say went on for weeks.
Maria Trinidad Perez, 32, faces child neglect charges after her absence was reported to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, according to her arrest report.
Deputies responded to Perez’s residence Nov. 8. There, they found three children huddled in the corner of an unfurnished room. The children hadn’t seen Perez for more than a few minutes in at least two weeks, the report says.
The youngest child, a 3-year-old boy, had a fever and a small cut on his arm from an exposed pipe that stuck out of the floor, according to the report. Deputies say the oldest, a preteen boy, told them that Perez only came around to drop off food, saying that he had last seen her the previous day when she brought the children food from McDonald’s. All three hadn’t been to school for the past three days.
“[The children] do not have access to food or water except for at school or when [Perez] brings it to them,” the deputy wrote.
Perez’s relationship to the children was redacted in the report, but her roommate indicated she was their primary caregiver. He also told deputies that she “often states she is ‘at work’” despite not having a job.
Deputies tried to reach Perez several times before she finally showed up at the home. The report states Perez “appeared disheveled” and told them that she planned to take the children to school after work. It was noon.
Perez was arrested and taken to the Palm Beach County Jail on three counts of child neglect. Jail records show she posted her $9,000 bond the next day.
A review of Perez’s criminal history yielded one prior conviction. In 2014, she pleaded guilty to food stamp fraud and received 18 months probation.
This story was originally published November 16, 2019 at 6:30 AM.
