Authorities had been getting calls about screaming children at a house at 1745 County Road 75 in the western part of the county, just east of Daytona North, or the Mondex. When deputies got there after 1 this morning, the scene in and around the house, and the condition of the two toddlers and a newborn they witnessed there, resulted in the arrest of their parents, Christina Mary Coe, 26, and Gilbert Bridewell, 27, on felony child-neglect charges.
The children are 2, 1 and 7 days old.
You could hear the child wailing as the sheriff’s deputy approached the house–not necessarily an unusual sound from a child, though a lot was amiss the further in the deputy approached, starting with the distressing conditions around the house. it looked like a garage sale after a windstorm had upended everything. The child is then heard yelling for “mommy,” and banging something that would later be determined to be a juice cup: the child was asking for a drink.
A groggy-looking Christina Mary Coe, 26–it was past 1 this morning–then opened the door, asking if the Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies were looking for something. “Yeah, you,” one of them replies. They ask her about the children and the sounds of crying and screaming.
“They’re playing,” Coe tells them, with the windows open.
“They’re not playing, ma’am,” a deputy tells her. “We’re getting complaints, they feel like there’s children in distress over here,” the other deputy says. She tells them the 2 and 3-year-old are loud and tend to scream.
“Is anybody supervising them?” a deputy asks. She tells him she was “just in there getting their stuff.”
“So there’s like 10,000 choking hazards in there, that they’re locked in that room and nobody is in there supervising them as they’re screaming for the whole neighborhood to call us?” the deputy tells Coe. “It apparently has not been the first time from all your neighbors calling in, saying they hear this multiple times a week.” She tells them it’s a safe environment.
“I’m not enthused so far,” the deputy tells her. In accordance with law, the Sheriff’s Office does not release body cam footage from inside a residence. Bu a deputy described what he saw inside: “As I entered the residence, I observed trash scattered along the floor of all bedrooms, and the rooms were in disarray. While walking through the residence, I observed numerous cockroaches walking along the floor, walls, fridge as well as the beds. It should be noted, while in the master bedroom I observed a pacifier which was for [one of the children]. The pacifier had multiple cockroaches nearby, and there were feces scattered along the bed.”
The children themselves were not in a more hygienic state, according to the deputy’s report, their diapers soiled with waste, the bath in the house–which their mother said had been used the night before–looking as if it had not been used in a long time. The tub was dry and covered with dust. A Department of Children and Families employee was summoned to the scene, and the three children were placed in the care of an aunt in Bunnell.
“I am so glad that we were able to get these kids out of this house before someone was injured or became seriously ill as a result of the conditions inside the home,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “Between the trash, bugs, and the human excrement found inside the home, this situation could have had a tragic ending. Hopefully, DCF and other agencies will help these parents and children get the help they need. It is unfortunate these conditions and the parent’s lack of actions deteriorated to a criminal case.”
Coe and Bridewell were being held at the Flagler County jail. Bond hadn’t been set yet this afternoon.
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EVA says
Dear God. An Aunt? Are they any safer with a relative who knew what environment they were in? We have to do better as a community for those most vulnerable precious babies. :(
jennifer l sorrentino says
just disgusting how as a mother can you let your poor children live like this smh
R. S. says
Before I’d pass judgment, I’d need far more background information than simply that the house was not livable. Are the parents emotionally handicapped, financially handicapped, cognitively handicapped? What is their educational and familial background? And if any of this might be an influential condition, are they teachable and can they learn? This is a typical case where police agencies may not be able to solve the problem and where social support agencies may be too underfunded to help successfully. Definitely, jail is the drastically wrong move because no learning or attempts at teaching are going on there.
Blinders says
What I find interesting is from the road driving by one can see how disgusting and filthy the property is. The garbage is strewn from the house out to the mailbox and your telling me all the cops that go to the gun range, as well as the cop that lives on that road along with all the city and county workers going up and down there on daily basis couldn’t tell something was wrong?
Me says
I cannot believe my eyes and what makes me sadder even more is the courts will give these two individuals those children back and this situation will repeat itself.
Those children do not belong with two people that obviously do not need them and shouldn’t have them. There is no reason trash could not have been pick up and soap and water to clean don’t cost a whole lot of money.
There are plenty a places to go for assistance, so this situation was totally uncalled for.
The Geode says
It’s sad that the government pays these people for breeding children they do not want in order to receive welfare, section 8, and stimulus checks. Maybe if they didn’t have the taxpayers monies to leech off of, fewer of these incidents would happen
Melissa says
Please send me these babies. My goodness how do people do this to such innocent angels? This sickens me beyond belief especially when my husband and I have been trying for years and haven’t been successful in doing so. We have so much love to give and I would love all three of those children as our own. This is so heartbreaking
Mia says
Disgusting. Their fb pages are open. He writes days ago, while his wife was in the hospital with their newborn, that-he’s bored and can someone come over. He has Hulu, Netflix, video games etc. Why doesn’t he feed & bathe his children instead.
Why do these ppl keep having kids?
KAREN PAINE says
I worked with this woman and saw her with her two children on a cold nite only dressed in soggy dirty diapers, no warm clothes, shoes or coats although the parents were dressed for the weather. The children looked dirty and neglected. Another time they came into the restaurant where I work and she used to work. Again the children were not dressed properly and were very dirty. She was very pregnant at the time.
I didn’t know whete she lived or I would have called myself. I’m only happy that these children wete temoved from that filthy house. They looked very neglected.
Trailer Bob says
Sickening.
Wonder why they even ever had children.
WTH Palm Coast Residents? says
Those poor children.
I had an aunt like that years ago who made a lot of poor personal choices. DCF came in and the next thing we knew my family went overnight from two children to six, living in a two bedroom house, but my cousins were all well fed, clean, and cared for, for a couple of months until DCF found them permanent homes. My parents wanted to keep them, but were only in their 20’s and running a small farm. They didn’t have the financial resources, just the love and compassion. I’ve worked with abused kids before and it is sickening.
Just a thought says
I don’t care what your handicap is. If you can’t provide necessary needs of your children, don’t have kids or if you do have kids and can’t afford them, call someone who can help. It is unconscionable to allow your children to live in filth. And if the parents are cognitively handicapped the deputies have enough common sense to handle them differently.
Myopinion says
There are many poor people out there in this world they take care of their children with food and cleanliness, so please stop with the excuses for these two irresponsible parents. They sure liked getting those welfare checks, food stamps and whatever else they took for us taxpayers yet never used for these poor children.
The Flagler County Courts will slap them on the wrist give them the children back and then will never check on them ago and the same thing will happen again.
If you can’t take care of your children give them up for adoption to someone that will give them love and care they deserve.
And, that is what the courts should ask them to do for the sake of the children’s welfare.
I looked the address up in Flagler County Property Appraisers they are renters so where are the owners of this property, and why weren’t they aware of what was going on at their property if people could see the trash from the street?
TR says
If the parents are suffering from any of the problems you questioned. Maybe they should have kids. JMO
Wow says
Totally agree. Could be best handled by a social service agency. This calls for “help” not “jail time”.
Mary Fusco says
Jail is too good for these two. They sure didn’t need any help having babies, did they? Why not keep having them since the taxpayers will be paying for them for the next 18 years. Social Services would never be able to reform these 2 because they are pigs and would be pigs with or without children. Unfortunately, what they are doing to their children is abuse. I predict something awful would have happened to these children down the road. Our government needs to be revamped and stop paying people like this to breed. JMO.
Trailer Bob says
It’s called “Slum Landlords, and there are plenty of them around.
R. S. says
I cannot believe the judgmental nature of these comments. Let him who is without fault cast stones?! I wonder whether this is just the self-righteous voices of Trumpublican fundamentalists, of which this county has decidedly too many, or whether none has ever experienced abject poverty. Does it never occur to them that there but for the grace of circumstance and a couple of paychecks, go I?
Pearl Boba says
Melissa,
Maybe you and your husband can get in touch with the parents? I have two young children & have been through rough times lately. I was praying for a way through or for my kids to be safe and loved. The first hope I had came true; I made it somewhere safe! :)
I can tell from the video of this incident, that the mother NEEDS help. It takes a village (sometimes) to raise babies & she said she HAS NO FAMILY, THE HOSPITAL TREATS HER LIKE TRASH, AND THAT SHE DOESN’T CARE IF HITTING HER HEAD HURTS HER. She needs love, assistance without judgement, and weekly check-ins/house cleaning once in a clean place. The Dad also needs the same. Peace and love y’all.
From, Alaska
Mary Fusco says
I can’t believe that you would bring Trump into this. LOL. Where do you see abject poverty? The father was on facebook saying he had netflix, hulu, games, etc. Plus their phones. The poorest of people take care of their children and keep their houses immaculate. Soap and water and elbow grease are rather cheap. Taking garbage to the curb costs nothing. Wiping crap off the walls costs nothing. Give all the kids a bath in the same water if water is too expensive. The mother looks well fed. So, obviously food is not an issue. I am also sure they are knocking on the government’s door for their paychecks. If you have filthy children with dirty diapers sleeping in beds with crap and bugs, that is not poverty but pigs.
Sandy Teague says
Hey there, I am a mom of three awesome kids that I adopted through foster care, these children are just a drop in the bucket there are many many children who need a family like yours. Please contact your local child protective services or the Dave Thomas Foundation you will find your children there, I promise.
KAREN says
I wish they would give these children to you. I know of this woman because I worked with her. I didn’t know where she lived but saw her in Walmart with these children who were dirty and underdressed for the weather. She was screaming at these two little children horribly. She was pregnant at the time. I felt so bad for them. I would have reported her myself if I knew where she lived. A family member should not these children.
Kathryn Edmondson says
Very uncalled for!
Angela M Reed says
The children have all three been placed in our care. Anyone wishing to donate items we need for the children it would be greatly appreciated. Anything is a help. I see some people are wanting to help. If you would like to help I can let you know things we could use for the children. Please message me for a list of things needed at 518-390-4913. I can meet you wherever is best for you to meet for any donations. I apologize for not posting a message sooner but I decided to as I just saw the messages from our community wanting to help out. God Bless You All
Angela M Reed says
The kids are in our care and we are not family. They have been placed with us two weeks ago. Anyone wishing to help can contact me at 518 390 4913. God Bless
Brad says
Nobody believe this person. It could very well be a scam.
Cop Cam Nation says
Didn’t you hit your child while she was driving your drunk a$$?