CW: Abuse & Neglect
A St. Petersburg couple has been arrested and charged with abuse after authorities discovered a man with intellectual disabilities in their care was living in horrid conditions, according to the St. Petersburg Police Department.
The Florida Department of Children and Families contacted officials seeking help in reviewing the case of a 22-year-old man who is nonverbal and has intellectual disabilities, according to officials. The man was discovered sprinting to the backyard, according to authorities. According to the agency, his living conditions were dire. He was allegedly living behind a house in South St. Petersburg
He was forced to sleep outside. Additionally, he was only allowed to reside in a makeshift hut in the garden. He wasn’t allowed into the house. According to authorities, the man had not showered in a long time and was covered in feces.
Jeffeth Garvey, the 22-year-old’s father, was arrested and charged with neglect of a disabled adult. Antoinette Mundy, his live-in partner, was also charged with neglect of a disabled adult.
“Oh my gosh! I had never seen him covered in feces. Sometimes I’d pass him and he did smell like he hadn’t showered in a while, but I had never seen anything like that,” the couple’s next-door neighbor told WTSP. “I didn’t know that he couldn’t go in the house or see the hut or anything. That’s kind of crazy.”
The duration of the negligence is unknown to police. Officers transported the 22-year-old to the hospital, and he is currently in the custody of DCF.
She also says that she and her roommate had previously reported the 22-year-old to the police. They both heard the man yelling incessantly. Initially, they thought it was a homeless person. Garvey and his girlfriend made their first public appearance on Thursday. 10 Tampa Bay is still awaiting their next court hearing.
There is no excuse for abusing, neglecting, or killing disabled people. Disabled people deserve to live a life free from abuse and neglect. Some of America’s most vulnerable citizens are those with disabilities.
Source:
Salcedo, Angelina. “‘That’s Terrible’: Neighbors Shocked at Couple’s Arrest for Neglect, Abuse of Young Man with Disabilities.” WTSP, 11 Aug. 2023, http://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/neighbors-shocked-couple-arrested-neglect-abuse-man-disabilities/67-3fcd6be1-727c-4049-8df1-f3842f0ab5e4.