7 injured children found in squalid Broward home, cops say. Their mother is locked up
Seven children, all 10 years old and younger, were living in a destitute Broward home, police say. Their mother, who had previously been investigated over the children’s welfare, was arrested Monday.
Anela Jeanlouis, 37, faces a slew of felony charges after an anonymous tipster called police concerning small children running outside a home on the 7600 block of Coral Boulevard in Miramar. Jeanlouis has an infant, two toddlers, a 4 year old and three school-aged kids.
The caller said one of the children, who were outside in diapers, was covered in feces and another had blood running from their hand, according to a report.
When police arrived to the home, they spoke with 21-year-old Maykala Jeanlouis, the children’s older sister. Maykala said she was in her room sleeping and said she didn’t know that her mother wasn’t at the house.
The home, according to police, was filthy and barely had any furniture inside. It reeked of feces and urine to the point that a detective had to step outside, the report says.
Maykala told investigators that the home was in a deplorable condition because her mother “has a lot of kids and they mess it up.” She also claimed the refrigerator was mostly empty because her siblings ate all of the food.
Police transported the children, ages 1, 2 and 3, to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood. Among their injuries were:
▪ A scratch under the left eye as well as red marks on the stomach and back of the 1 year old;
▪ Deep cuts on the hands and feet as well as scars all over the body of the 2 year old, who also had a skin infection and scabs on the neck and head;
▪ Marks and scars on the body of the 3 year old.
At the hospital, Jeanlouis said she left the house to get food because her kids “were starving,” the report says. When detectives tried to speak with her, Jeanlouis began to scream, exclaimed that her daughter was trying to set her up.
According to the report, Jeanlouis tussled with officers who were trying to handcuff her and even asked one of her children to “come help mommy.”
All of the kids, according to investigators, had scars and wounds on their bodies. The 6 and 10 year olds were released to Maykala by their school even though staff were ordered not to do so.
The seven kids, however, are now in the custody of the Florida Department of Children and Families. The report also said Jeanlouis had 20 DCF cases — including two ongoing investigations.
Jeanlouis remains in the Broward main jail as of Tuesday afternoon.
