A Florida couple, Sanel Canovic, 40, and Azra Nikocevic, 33, have been arrested on child neglect charges after their five children were found living in appalling conditions in Miami Beach.
Police were alerted when they encountered the couple’s 6-year-old son running unsupervised across the street. The child led officers to a residence where they discovered the children living without electricity, food, or plumbing, and wearing soiled clothing.
The children, aged 6 to 12, were reportedly hungry and often went to bed without food.
The eldest child told police that the parents would go out for meals without feeding the kids and sometimes left money for the oldest child to buy fast food for the siblings.
However, on occasions, the children were left to go hungry, the report stated.
The children were placed in protective custody, while the parents were arrested and later released on their own recognizance.
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In an interview, Nikocevic admitted to the conditions in the apartment, including the lack of electricity and a clogged toilet.
She claimed that she was “focusing more on the job than the kids” and said she was attempting to apply for food stamps due to low wages.
She denied that the children went to bed hungry, explaining that she would not always let them eat fast food but would provide other meals.
Nikocevic expressed her intention to “fix everything” and emphasized the importance of taking care of and loving one’s children.