Children showing ‘signs of neglect’ are now released from the hospital
A group of at least 10 children who were taken from a North Lauderdale home amid concerns they showed signs of neglect have been released from a hospital, where they had been taken for precaution, officials said Friday.
Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to the home on Thursday morning on a domestic disturbance call. They ended up removing the children for medical intervention. Sheriff’s spokeswoman Miranda Grossman said Friday it’s still an active investigation.
A woman had been taken into custody for questioning, and Special Victims Unit and Child Protective Investigation Services was investigating. There have been no charges.
On Thursday, North Lauderdale City Manager Mike Sargis said 11 children had been taken to hospitals, an infant who was taken to Broward Health Coral Springs and 10 others who were taken to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital. They ranged in age from several months old to teenagers, Sargis said. “They were all suffering different signs of neglect,” Sargis said.
Authorities on Friday said the North Lauderdale residence was not a foster home. An agency spokeswoman offered no additional details about the circumstances at the home, situated in the 1500 block of Southwest 66th Avenue. Paige Patterson-Hughes, spokeswoman for Florida Department of Children and Families, said the department “conducts investigations concerning all allegations of abuse, neglect or abandonment, and the department is working closely with law enforcement on this investigation.”
Nobody answered the door Friday at the North Lauderdale home, while the news media stayed in the neighborhood, talking with people in the community. Multiple neighbors said they saw several children outside the home. One neighbor recalled how the residents had moved into the neighborhood several months ago. A blue-and-pink bicycle rested on its side in the home’s yard, and a pair of rollerblades remained by the front door.
The city did a search for any relevant code enforcement-related records pertaining to that residence, but didn’t find any as of Friday morning, Sargis said.
Lisa J. Huriash can be reached at lhuriash@sunsentinel.com. Follow on Twitter @LisaHuriash