(UnitedVoice.com) – The Department of Children and Families (DCF) is investigating the possible neglect of nearly a dozen children in Broward County. Florida authorities launched a probe after a domestic disturbance call to a home.
On Thursday, May 11, the North Lauderdale Fire Rescue Department responded to a home after being told a sick child needed medical attention. First responders took the minor to Coral Springs Medical Center for treatment. During an investigation, authorities found 10 more kids in the home, all of whom were all taken to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital to undergo evaluations as a precautionary measure.
THE LATEST: The Florida Department of Children and Families confirmed Friday that it is working with the Broward Sheriff’s Office in a neglect investigation launched after 11 children were taken to area hospitals Thursday. https://t.co/BCQ735fph1
— WPLG Local 10 News (@WPLGLocal10) May 12, 2023
Mike Sargis, the North Lauderdale city manager, said the child who was the subject of the initial call was an infant, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. The 11 kids ranged in age from a few months old to teenagers. He said, “They were all suffering different signs of neglect.” All of them were later released.
Initially, a city official told reporters the residence was a foster home. However, DCF and the Broward Sheriff’s Office later revealed that wasn’t the case. Authorities have also not revealed what the conditions inside the residence were like.
According to NBC South Florida, a domestic disturbance led local law enforcement to discover the children in need.
Neighbors didn’t report seeing anything abnormal happening at the house. They told reporters that they often saw children playing outside. Commissioner Mario Bustamante is a longtime resident of the neighborhood and expressed shock when he heard the news. He never suspected anything was wrong.
“I thought it was just regular kids. I always thought it was something normal,” Bustamante said.
A DCF spokesperson told a local news station that the agency is “working closely with law enforcement on [the] investigation.” Investigators with the sheriff’s department’s Special Victim’s Unit are working with Child Protective Investigation Services on the case.
City officials have not released any other information on the situation as of this writing.
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