Michelle Sofia, 35, and Willie Lee London, 41, are facing three felony child neglect charges each in connection with Bunnell police discovering their three children living in abject conditions at 811 Hymon Circle, with no food, running water or sanitation. The children are an 11-year-old girl, a 12-year-old boy and a 17-year-old boy.
The children are Sofia’s, but London, her live-in boyfriend, cares for them as his own. A Bunnell police officer responded to the Hymon Circle house in early afternoon Tuesday to investigate a trespassing. It isn’t clear what led the officer to enter the home.
Inside, the officer described “layers of dirt, piles of soiled clothing, layers of feces and piles of rat droppings throughout the residence. There are three refrigerators within the residence.” Two were not working and were filled with moldy food and bugs. The third contained only condiments. The kitchen was piled with dirty dishes crawling with roaches. One bedroom had only a thin mattress with no sheets. Another of the children’s bedrooms had no mattress. The bathroom was inoperable and clogged, there being no water.
London told the officer that anyone needing a shower had to use facilities at a municipal park or go to a friend’s house, though the closest park has no such facilities. The children told the officer that they had not showered in two days.
The Department of Children and Families was called in and a social worker toured the house, concluding it was not suitable to live in. The children were turned over to DCF’s custody. Sofia and London were taken to the Flagler County jail, where they were each booked on three charges of child neglect, each a third-degree felony.
Last fall the couple was the subject of an eviction after living at at apartment on South Chapel Street. After the landlord conducted an inspection there, the apartment was found to be in violation of housekeeping standards, with a roach infestation, rotting food and trash not taken out. A subsequent re-inspection revealed additional violations. An eviction order was signed on Oct. 27. Sofia attempted to stay the eviction, describing herself as a disabled person still suffering the consequences of a debilitating car crash several years ago. The court denied the stay.
The couple also each faces a misdemeanor charge of filing a false police report the previous day when, in the afternoon of Jan. 22, Sofia alleged that a white vehicle struck her daughter while her daughter was skateboarding in the driveway of 816 Hymon Circle. A review of surveillance video by a Bunnell police officer showed the girl skillfully avoiding the car. There was no collision.
The couple are being held at the county jail on $16,000 bond each.
melly says
It’s bad enough that YOU live like this. Why on Earth do you not care that your kids live this way?
Horrible, those kids are probably traumatized. “Crawling with roaches”. Unbelievable. What kind of fool? These people need mental help.
K says
This is heartbreaking to read. I feel so sad for these 3 kids, they shouldn’t have to ever live like this. Teenagers need so much at this stage in life and I pray they get all the love and support they can get. Does the state provide them with emerging clothing, shoes and all the stuff they deserve? Teenagers need alot! I have one and raised one. If anyone has any idea about donating items to them please say something. Do center’s around Palm Coast donate to children like these kids?
Concerned Citizen says
Yes they do! Both Salvation Army & Goodwill give DCF everything they need to provide to the children, to give them a fresh, new, start!
JimboXYZ says
Biden’s America strikes again. All of this came to a head in the last 6 months starting with the apartment eviction, 3 years of Biden hyper inflation.
Carol says
What planet are you on Jimbo? To blame the neglect of children by two adults (and I am using that loosely)….. on the Biden administration and inflation……..SERIOUSLY!!!
Pat Stote says
Jimbo is “ out there for sure”
Someone who cares says
If you read the article you will see they were hoarders. I lived in an Apartment Complex that they would come in to inspect the apartment and if there were discrepancies, I would have 30 Days to fix it or they would kick you out of the apartment. These two people neglected the children and they chose to live this way. This is emotional abuse and we don’t know how often they had food to eat or to extent of the neglect. There are resources around Palm Coast that can help with water, electricity. We also do not know if she was on food stamps or receiving Social Security for her injuries. This isn’t Biden’s fault, you can’t put everything at his feet. You have to blame Congress for the Republicans aren’t coming up with a great budget, instead they are focused on Hunter or trying to implicate the President in the dealings with Hunter. In FACT they should be running the Government and creating Policies to help the US Citizens in which they were elected to do.
Stop Playing the Political BS Card says
I just injured myself rolling my eyes and laughing. I am very unhappy with Biden, but he is not the cause of some LOSERS locally who are seriously guilty of child abuse. Those kids remind me of some cousins of mine years ago in another state. Their mother was mentally ill and the description of the living conditions fits. 1960’s (hello McFly, Biden wasn’t President then).
The court took them away, four children, ages from an infant to 6. My parents took them in, in spite of the fact that we lived in a 2 BR farm house and they went from two children to six overnight. Eventually, the court in all its infinite wisdom, returned the oldest three to the mother and the youngest two (she had now popped out another) went into foster care with an amazing family who wanted to adopt them. The bio mom refused and eventually got them back, too.
Fast forward — those two both committed suicide as young adults. This is not a Biden issue. It is a mental illness issue. Get your cranium out of your rectal orifice.
Atwp says
Jimbo this just started happening after Biden became President. Man face reality, this kind of stuff have been happening for eons. Man please be in the real world. Stop blaming Biden for every bad thing. He and the Democrats didn’t attack the capitol. Look at real life dude.
TR says
Atwp, your comment is rich coming from someone who in the past has blamed EVERYTHING that you don’t agree with or is wrong with the country on the Republicans or the white man. Maybe you should have taken some of your own advice a long time ago.
However these kids will most likely need therapy and hopefully find better living conditions. As for the mother, she also needs therapy and she needs to get herself a job. As for the boyfriend goes, he really has no obligation to the children and to say he takes care of them as if they were his own is a joke. These two can’t take care of a goldfish let a long three young kids.
Atwp says
Tr people do change. Trying to get better and I realize problems from all people not just one group or one party. A step in the right direction for me.
Endangered species says
The forced birth party will be lining up to adopt these teenagers and care for them for the rest of their lives haha.
Local says
Why? Everyone blames Trump for things that have nothing to do with him ….but that’s ok?
John Moreno says
Oh my- blame it on Biden. No the parents are and were terrible people
Judith Michaud says
So, you think this is Biden’s fault? Do your homework please! Donald Trump caused this problem by ignoring COVID ! Businesses went under, thousands lost their jobs and so many died! It will take years if ever, for the economy to recover! Joe is doing the best he can but is road blocked on so many issues by the MAGA House representatives!
Land of no turn signals says says
Jobs? We don’t need no stinking jobs.
Sign says
Living wage? we don’t need no stinking living wage
JEK says
Biden has nothing to do with lousy parenting! But I suspect you already know this.
Edward Stark says
She WASN’T “skateboarding in MY driveway”. They coached her up to skate behind my car as I was backing into MY driveway like I always do. BY LAW, she shouldn’t have a skateboard on the road to begin with and SURE as heck shouldn’t be on the left-hand side of the road even if it WAS “legal”. The Bunnell Police Department obviously didn’t know that because they wanted to blame ME. Even when I showed them the incident from MY cameras, even when other people volunteered the TRUTH of what happened, they STILL wanted to blame ME. It was after the white couple across the street showed them theirs did they finally conceded and stopped blaming ME. Did they think I somehow “edited” a video when 1. I KNOW that I didn’t do anything wrong. 2. There were independent witnesses. 3 I showed them the video before they left the scene.
This was an “insurance scam” by two dummies who committed a crime directly in front of my cameras which for them was the right thing to do because the Bunnell Police Department had their BS story already locked in their minds and the “victim’s breaking the law prompted by their (I won’t insult the good parents out here) or common sense, or video proof didn’t mean shit when it comes to MY black ass.
I am still kinda mad about that shit – I ain’t gonna lie…
JimboXYZ says
Yep, the human race disappoints again. Economic & financial hardships create the conditions for insurance fraud. FL statute requires that children under 16 must wear a safety helmet, too often that law is never applied or enforced for any type of skating hobbies. I can understand your trauma for being that victim of the accusations & then having to prove innocence when innocent is what anyone is supposed to be presumed. Not sure howmany camera angles for video had to be reviewed to make a conclusive call on whether a collision of child & car happened, so I do understand that much evidence would have to be collected, reviewed to get the call right, like an NFL instant replay review ? Any of us are all that crappy neighbor away from living out the same/similar hell you went thru for false accusations. It’s sad our homes have to become Wal-Mart for surveillance cameras. For this reason, children are banned from this property, made that clear to every parent & child. I happen to live at a 3 way intersection where very few ever come to a complete stop for a stop sign. One family set up a basketball goal at that intersection in a speed limit zone of 30 mph. What could possibly go wrong. Sorry not on my property, that intersection is for someone to get from point a to point b, it’s not a playground for children. Use the road as it was intended to go somewhere else, those parents & children are free to use it that way, I’d never impede anyone’s right to go somewhere, but to create a dangerous situation & loiter in front of the driveway, Sorry that’s all on them for risk of injury/death, that’s not a potential attractive nuisance insurance fraud thing.
https://flaglerlive.com/pelton-injury/#gsc.tab=0
Wow says
How is jailing them helping the situation?
Concerned Citizen says
I would love to answer your question, but I won’t, let’s just say they’re guilty of more than just child neglect!!!
Samuel says
These two individuals are a disgrace and should not be released from jail.
Concerned Citizen says
Amen!!!
Momma Mia says
From their picture, I think it’s safe to say drugs. It’s sad to see kids having to live this kind of life. Hopefully, they can go to a nice couple who cares for them. They deserve so much more.
Concerned Citizen says
Mama Mia!!! U hit the nail right on the head & do u know that’s all thee “parents” cared about!!! They suck as “parents”, I can’t even call them that! They don’t deserve those kids at all, I knew them all & was suspect from the day they moved in, trust me, they’re real losers & discust me as far as “parents/human beings” goes! They should both be institutionalized 4 a long, very long, time! And def not allowed 2 influence those poor kids, ever, ever, again, in any way, shape or form, whatsoever!!! The kids deserve soooo much better, but the influence of the “parents” has forced them 2 grow up 2 soon & learned 2 survive on their own, any way they can! If it means lie, they lie, if it means beg other people 4 what they don’t have, they beg & even if it means playing along with the “parent lies”, they’d do it… because they were badly conditioned 2 believe they were doing everything right, just pleasing the very ill parents! A sad, pathetically sad situation, it’s going 2 be extremely difficult 2 reverse all the damage their “parents” have done already!!!