now
what is that someone passed out on the
ground right there
[Music]
where's your mommy
you want some more juice
[Applause]
cockroaches running around in here
for the past week I don't know what else
am I supposed to do I don't know maybe
put up your drug paraphernalia
on April 22nd 2021 to Flagler County
police officers made their way to a home
in Bunnell Florida to investigate
reports of a child screaming however
they could have never predicted the
absolute horror that awaited them as
they were soon faced with one of the
most heartbreaking situations they've
ever encountered
not only that but the case would go on
to shock the entire Community to its
core authorities approached the house at
1 30 in the morning where they are
baffled to find a trash-ridden front
yard however this is only a glimpse into
the deplorable conditions of the home
whoa
whoa this is
ground right there
the officers are able to see two small
children through the window it appears
that they've been locked in a room by
themselves without any adult supervision
and if the circumstances weren't
suspicious enough already the nightmare
waiting inside would prove to be all the
more disturbing
what's up little buddy
where's your mommy
[Applause]
where's your mommy
you want something to drink
do you want some more juice
[Applause]
yeah you yeah this is 26 year old
Christina Coe who shares the home with
her fiance 27 year old Gilbert Bridewell
along with their three children yeah are
you the mother of these children here
they just they've been screaming and
crying yeah they're trying they have to
do those windows open that's what they
do they're not playing man right well he
looks like he needs some juice or
something he's showing me his cup yeah I
was just about to go get them
okay well we're getting complaints
that they feel like there's children in
distress over here you know
it's called a kid dude yeah how old are
they uh it's almost two and three is
anybody supervising them yeah I was just
in there
despite what Christina claims the three
children are actually two years old
one-year-old and the youngest is only
seven days old
I was just in there getting them
mm-hmm but I have my other daughter in
there so there's like 10 000 choking
hazards in there that they're locked in
that room and nobody's in there
supervising them as they're screaming
for the whole neighborhood to call us
and this apparently has not been the
first time from all your neighbors
calling in saying that they hear this
multiple times throughout the week
do you have an idea with you can we go
get it
it looks like you've been asleep
I've been in the hospital
are you the only one here
in my surgery are they both your
children yes
Xena was released from the hospital only
a couple days prior following the birth
of her newborn baby when was the last
time you even changed her diapers
as it's sagging they're probably full
they had a ton of juice and
and will be an hour and a half ago and I
changed their diapers does this seem to
be a safe environment for your children
yeah it is completely safe
it's just they're very very loud and
vocal and since both of the windows are
opened this is a safe environment huh
well we're still cleaning it out they're
uncles just left and they trapped the
place
so I'm not enthused so far to be honest
with you
Christina states that Gilbert's brother
and his wife along with their own son
had also been living in the house before
recently moving out well it looks like I
mean by the
the way it looks outside it looks like I
mean this took a while to build up this
is that their room
do they have beds to sleep on yeah they
have cots in there they fold them up
right away
do they have bedding I see cops I don't
even see bedding
they don't have sheets pillows blankets
they have they have pillows they have
blankets in there
I could go in and I clean it every
single day
and they take all of the toys out of the
toys bin and they do that when was the
last time you had a drink
however when police arrived the child
had been holding his cup in the air
while incessantly screaming perhaps
indicating that a long period of time
may have passed with this in mind the
officers are a little skeptical of the
mother's claim
what do you have that formed that screen
and besides tape
go ahead just the taste
there's no air circulation in that room
and it gets really hot so when he pushes
that screen out and comes into this
and what or if he just gets out and runs
around in the neighborhood our
grandmother is really it's literally you
think your mom your grandmother's
looking out for a three-year-old
five-year-old running around at 11 p.m
sorry
[Music]
can I see the inside of your house
please
finally the officer's request to see the
inside of the home however they aren't
prepared for what was just beyond the
dorm
for
eign
[Applause]
that's not urine do you see that
a brown
yeah you see all that that's not urine
and it's full of what looks like sand
we got cockroaches running around in
here
I don't know
maybe put up your drug paraphernalia
okay
[Applause]
I'm not enthused the Cockroaches would
turn out to be just one of the many
sickening discoveries throughout the
home and the officers can barely stomach
the horrendous conditions that the
children have been forced to endure is
that your vehicle out there
yes so the drug paraphernalia in there
is not yours either what drugs I believe
my partner said he was observed it in
the passenger compartment of your
vehicle while you guys were out there
Christina doesn't respond most likely
due to her knowledge of the unidentified
substance next she makes a phone call to
her fiance hey the cops are here
I don't know
you talk to him because you want to talk
to my fiance yeah this is Deputy Gomez
how can I help you
[Music]
well we're getting complaints about the
children because they're screaming and
it looks like they're being unattended
right but here she was sleeping and
they're locked in a bedroom I was in my
room breastfeeding my other daughter and
we just had concerned citizens that her
we don't know if the kids are on the
inside the outside if they're in bed
bugs crawling around in the room it
looks like there's feces all over the
wall we've been trying to deal with it
his brother who lived here trashed the
whole entire place and we've been
dealing with cleaning it the brother put
the feces and stuff on the wall That's
from his son we have been in there
trying and trying and trying to scrub it
off the walls soon Gilbert will have the
opportunity to speak with the police
face to face for now the officers
questioned Christina regarding the
Department of Children and Families or
DCF case she states that their current
case has been open for a couple of days
and an employee had recently made a
visit to the home supposedly the
caseworker told Christina that
everything looked okay but the residence
was still in need of cleaning
she claims that she doesn't know how the
case was first opened
do you have food for them can I see that
please
[Music]
have child care products diapers Etc yes
these are locked so they cannot get them
in I'm not worried about the mice the
biggest concern I have is the Cockroach
infestation I know it's been like that
for years and we've been trying it's
been a lot worse man this whole entire
place
used to be trash you could even get into
the living room that's how bad it was
get it you're an adult and you choose to
do whatever but I mean there's that's my
fiance okay and there's another pipe
over here too and that's like an access
so the children have access to that you
got rolling papers over here yeah that's
his stuff this is not an incredible
environment
I'm trying I know I'm not saying you're
not trying I don't know what it was
before all right I know what it is now I
know so I don't know how much progress
you've made I've made some in progress
this will work okay so here's what we're
gonna do we're gonna go outside and talk
while we're out there if you keep
transfer diapers
seen his fiance Gilbert has made his way
home from work he undoubtedly was not
expecting a visit from police
I am the father
you've been working on that or what
I won't even live in here I've been in
here
roughly two three years two three years
all right she's been living here with
you for two or three years yeah oh okay
I thought she said just a few months
huh it was on and off because my uncle
was originally throwing her out which I
had to move out with her and we moved
back in once everything kind of cleared
up the reason we're here is the other
children were locked in that other room
that's just a screen duct tape in there
neighbor heard him screaming
it seemed us that she was sleeping took
several minutes to answer the door so in
case of emergency she would have never
known yeah I mean I know you have a
child camera in there yeah I completely
understand that does that camera record
it does not it only
shows you know it was so long at the
time so if I walked into that window
where they're sitting out there talking
to complete strangers that they don't
really recognize as law enforcement pull
that screen off and take that kid
through that window are you gonna know
that's it you'd see it while you're at
work not why I'm not working well she's
here sleeping
the mother and father are well aware
that they have put their children in
danger yet they only seem to care when
they're faced with the consequences
ten thousand choking hazards in that
room why she's passed out they could
stick a car in their mouth you know kids
already stick everything in their mouth
swallow it choke out on the floor while
she's sleeping he's banging on the door
that obviously is hard enough to wake
her up and she glances over at the
camera sees her on the ground saying oh
she's sleeping next you know your kid's
dead yeah
see where we're getting at yes sir
because right now I have enough to take
you all to jail yes sir for felons
thankfully I understand
DCF is coming out tonight yeah is there
anything expect what we've seen and
we're gonna figure out a plan from there
what we're getting at is this is an
unacceptable environment and it's
neglectful to your children
and we don't know if you're going to be
charged at this time
how come there's just piles of trash
that we usually we set it out front but
lately the cats are not sure didn't get
to it and that's what happens
I live with raccoons too
they don't do that and that and that and
that that's not a raccoon that would
might be a bear
that's not a raccoon Gilbert states that
he's been using roach and flea spray
throughout the home although his
attempts to exterminate the infestation
are apparently unsuccessful
next two additional officers arrive
where they appeared just as shocked not
only that but they find additional
cockroaches hiding in the one place you
would least want them to be
you got cockroaches inside your fridge
I know it's a mess you're gonna have to
get help though sometimes because
I understand but you're bringing lives
into this world when you can't take it
the ones that you when you can't take
care of the ones that you have right now
you know what I mean but we can take
care of them it's just we're trying to
take care of them I know but if you were
in their shoes I don't know how your
childhood was like would you want
roaches crawling all over you at night
time to hear what you wouldn't want
roaches crawling all over you and oh
that's right picture this right you got
a passy right there and you got like the
roaches of the roach leaves it's like a
crap or something on and then the baby
puts it in his mouth that baby has no
immune system like the baby could
probably die from it you know that right
we completely understand soon a DCF
caseworker arrives where he informs the
parents that their children are going to
be removed from the home it's then
decided that they will be placed in the
custody of their and
Gilbert assists in installing the car
seats in the vehicle however Christina
breaks down in a hysterical fit as her
children are placed in the car
thank you
calm down okay stay out here so based on
our findings tonight okay
um we do have probable cause to make the
arrests
all right so all both of y'all are going
to be going to jail tonight
um problems left
all right DCF house obviously costume
because and they're going to be staying
with your sister cousin is that what it
is
um hopefully you guys are able to get
out tomorrow you can get back to your
baby yeah that's what we have no money I
have no family I understand I understand
but we we have a problem
we don't we don't tolerate this all
right the conditions they're in is
unsafe for them in general
completely unsatisfactory the couple are
officially placed under arrest but
Christina refuses to make it easy I know
you're upset about your kids but you
hitting your head against that glass is
not going to do anything
you have three little ones that care
about you that are waiting for you
so let's just get this over with okay
we're gonna go get you cleared at the
hospital if you don't want to get any
treatment or anything you'll just have
to tell them I don't want to go okay
you don't want to see them and they'll
just fill up his paper and we leave but
according to our policy because you just
have to fill it out now I don't want to
go there at all I hate Adventure okay
perfectly fine it's not your decision
it's ours okay our policy states you're
gonna have to go if you sign out AMA
that's not a problem you don't have to
get out of the car
okay at the end of the day this is what
is happening I'm very sorry if you don't
want to tell you that but there's no
decision here there's no choice to be
made this is what's happening please do
not hit your head against my partition
all it's going to do is hurt and damage
my car
okay
if you have any questions comments or
anything at this point in time
no great close the door let's go
Christine and Gilbert were charged with
three counts of felony child neglect
without great bodily harm the charges
were eventually reduced to a single
misdemeanor of contributing to the
delinquency of a child however this
wouldn't be their last interaction with
police in January of 2023 Gilbert was
arrested on felony charges of aggravated
assault and cocaine possession the first
charge was eventually dropped but the
second is still pending in court a
couple of months later Christina was
reported missing by her fiancee but was
discovered alive and safe only five days
later by Ormond Beach police at the time
of this video the current welfare of the
children has not been reported