Brad Turner, a 42-year-old father of two young children, faces a felony child neglect charge following a Flagler County Sheriff’s investigation that found the children living in deplorable conditions at the house on County Road 75 in western Flagler County.
Deputies picked out a strong odor of trash and sewer as soon as they approached the house. Inside, after gaining permission to enter from Turner, they found quantities of uneaten, rotting and moldy food in the kitchen. The deputies’ shoes stuck to the floor as they walked.
A room where a 5-year-old child was sleeping–it was around noon–was in disarray, with rotten food in a trash can next to the bed, with flies buzzing around. Several prescription pill bottles were scattered on the floor and on top of the night stand, within reach of the child. Turner told deputies that the child had been diagnosed with autism.
Turner led deputies to another bedroom, whose door was closed. As soon as the door was opened, deputies smelled a strong odor of feces, then saw it smeared “all over the floor” inside, according to Turner’s arrest report. An unclothed, nearly 2-year-old child was in a playpen. The child, a girl, was awake, in a fetal position.
“I observed feces on [the child]’s hands and inside her mouth,” the responding deputy reported, “I also observed feces smeared on the wall that the pack and play touched.” Turner’s mother, Sheila Bridewell, 70, was in another bedroom, sitting upright in her bed, playing cards. She told deputies that her son is the provider for her grandchildren, though she sometimes cooks for them. She said the children’s mother, Stephanie Turner, allegedly abandoned them two weeks ago. She could not say how often the children have meals, and said one of them throws fits.
Deputies were concerned about the extent to which the 2-year-old has been confined. Bridewell “seemed unsure” when asked about that. Turner could not tell deputies when he’d last seen the girl, but said that when she’d gone to sleep the previous night, she had been clothed. A deputy cleaned the child and removed her from the playpen. The child was hungry.
Flagler County Fire Rescue was called in to check on the well-being of the children, considering what the younger one may have ingested, and the Department of Children and Families sent an investigator. Turner himself was placed under arrest, charged with felony child negligence, and taken to the county jail, where he was booked on $5,000 bond. He is to have no contact with the children during pre-trial, which would require DCF to assume responsibility for the children absent responsible relatives.
ASF says
PLEASE don’t place these children with any more family members!
Start the intensive work they, no doubt need, NOW so they might have a chance someday to be sucessfully placed/transitioned into a more normalized setting.
R.S. says
Seems to me that education and help is needed here, not penalties and incarceration.
Stephanie says
It’s a great idea but things aren’t that simple. What options do you actually believe are available to children in “the system”?
Wanda says
It seems to me that these people cannot take care of themselves let a loan two children, that place had to have been that bad when the mother was there as well, with all that filth as bad as they said it was it took more than a couple weeks to get that bad. I just wonder why the mother left. If the mother didn’t want to live in that filth why would she let those babies live like that, that is just pure nasty and disgusting. Those poor babies were probably starving, someone had to have known how they were living.
Geezer says
$5,000 bond—need I say more?
I’d vivisect him if given the opportunity.
Find me a genie bottle so that I can rub it.
Dfc says
Where’s the mother Stephanie Turner? Clearly this went on longer than the 2 weeks she’s been gone! No doubt with a new boyfriend enjoying life while her 2 children are in a heartbreaking situation. She removed herself, but not her children?? She should be charged as well. Shame on everyone involved. Praying for the kids.
Dfc says
Agreed.
ASF says
I agree that more needs to accomplished in terms of developing more options for traumatized children but there are therapeutic settings to be found–although some of them may be out of state.
If tax payers would actually be willing to pay for the development of more of these programs, it would greatly benefit society in the long run.
PC person says
Grandma is also to blame. She is heartless.
Jay Tomm says
Unfortunate to hear.
Why does this all happen on CR75? There have been several incidents on this road the last year or so. 2 neighbors shot each other not too long ago. Some other drug busts. I almost bought a house on this road last year.
It’s also the road that leads to the Flagler gun club.
Sally says
Some people shom uld never have children this is a perfect example of that. Please your Honor do not allow them to have these children back. And DCF needs to stop allowing these kind to get their children back.
Mary Fusco says
ASF, NO child should ever be traumatized like this. I am sure society is and has been paying for these children that are living in worse conditions than an animal in a zoo. What would benefit society more would be if people stopped having children they do not want. Even animals take care of their young. The mother that walked away will most likely start breeding again and so the cycle will be repeated.
Save the innocent says
Stephanie works locally at a reputable business. Or maybe not anymore. By the looks of his record he should have these kids!! One could say he changed his ways. But after this article I beg to differ!! These poor little innocent babies need a loving home. Not one in so much turmoil!!