A 41-year-old Florida mother was arrested Thursday after her 8-year-old autistic daughter was found wandering naked and barefoot in the neighborhood. Authorities discovered the girl and her two siblings living in a home filled with biohazard conditions.
Carla E. Nishikura faces three felony counts of child neglect, according to court records from the Flagler County Sheriff's Office. Deputies responded to a welfare check at the family's home on Wood Amber Lane in Palm Coast after a neighbor returned the child.
The girl, identified as E.N., has autism and is nonverbal. Nishikura told investigators her daughter has a history of eloping and left through the garage while she was asleep. She normally secured the doors with zip ties but forgot the night before.
Inside the residence, deputies found fecal matter coating floors, walls, and ceilings in the kitchen and living room. The child's bedroom contained only a bed frame, with the floor covered in fecal matter, cracked eggs, and urine. Exposed wiring from damaged outlet covers was also present.
Nishikura admitted knowing about the conditions but said she could not manage the home alone. The Department of Children and Families accepted a report and responded immediately. She is scheduled to appear in court for arraignment on Aug. 18 with bond set at $7,500.