Two Cape Coral parents are facing child neglect charges after their living conditions were found to be unfit for children, according to the Cape Coral Police Department.
Karleigh Anne Awis and Andrew David Awis are each being charged with seven counts of child neglect.
Cape Coral Police called living conditions at the couple’s home deplorable and completely unsuited for children.
Neighbors said they were concerned for the children living there.
“It breaks my heart,” said neighbor Ann Kotz. “They’ve got seven children and, as I understand it, another one on the way. I don’t understand how they can live in that small four-bedroom home with that many kids.”
Kotz recalled one time she stepped in to stop several unsupervised toddlers in diapers from sprinting into a nearby canal.
“There’s gators and snakes and everything else,” Kotz said. “I sure wouldn’t let my kids be running around in their diapers running down the street.”
Several neighbors said the few times they did see the Awis’ interact with their children it was disheartening.
“They scream and yell at the kids. Some of the language is pretty unsavory,” Kotz said. “I wouldn’t talk to an adult that way let alone a very small child.”
Cape Coral couple with seven kids arrested for neglect
Neighbors said they were concerned for the children living there.
Two adults were arrested in Cape Coral and could each face seven counts of child neglect. The arrests come after seven children were found to be living in terrible conditions and may also have been abused.
One of the kids living inside the home showed bruising on his back, which is referred to as a sign of possible abuse.
Shuttered windows, a sign on the door, and trash often piled up in the front yard made neighbors suspicious of what was going on inside the home.
“It was a pretty large pile; almost makes you question whether they’re hoarding or where it’s all coming from,” said Ann Kotz.
“I just thought they were maybe dirty,” said Alexandra Vega.
The neighbors say they didn’t suspect that Andrew and Karleigh Awis weren’t taking care of their seven children. Yet, Cape Coral police arrested the couple on seven counts each of child neglect.
An incident report says that one of the kids suffered bruising on his back and that one of the adults punched and hit him.
Kotz says she never saw anyone hit the kids. However, she did hear some yelling. “That’s pretty normal over there to hear the father screaming at the kids, some pretty rough language to be using with little toddlers and the neighbors have all heard that.”
Cape PD also got the Department of Children and Families involved. A DCF agent set up a plan to safely remove the seven children.
WINK News asked where the kids are right now but we have not yet heard back. Both parents have bonded out of jail as of Monday evening.
2 arrested for child neglect in Cape Coral
Two adults were arrested in Cape Coral and could each face seven counts of child neglect. The arrests come after seven children were found to be living in terrible conditions and may also have been abused. One of the kids living inside the home showed bruising on his back, which is referred to...
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