Neighbors in a Palm Coast subdivision woke up to a disturbing scene Thursday morning: a naked, non-verbal child with autism wandering outside alone. By the end of the day, the child's mother, 41-year-old Carla Nishikura, was in handcuffs, accused of felony child neglect and living in what deputies bluntly described as a biohazard.
According to an arrest affidavit cited by ClickOrlando, deputies responded for a welfare check after a neighbor reported the unclothed child outside and escorted the child back home. The report notes the child is non-verbal, diagnosed with autism and has a history of eloping. Nishikura allegedly told deputies she usually secures interior doors with zip ties to keep the child from slipping out, but said she forgot to do it the night before. Two other children were found inside the home during the check, investigators wrote.
Inside a home deputies say was hazardous
Once deputies stepped through the front door, they said the situation went from concerning to appalling. A strong odor consistent with fecal matter hit them immediately, and investigators reported feces smeared on floors, walls and even the ceiling in the kitchen and living room, according to WFTV. One bedroom, they said, held only a bare bed frame, with the floor described as covered in feces, cracked eggs and urine. Deputies wrote that a child had been sleeping on a couch instead because of those conditions. They also noted cracked outlet covers with exposed wiring within reach of the children.
Cleaning crew backs out, children describe filth
The affidavit states that a cleaning crew had been scheduled to help tackle the mess but backed out "due to the biohazard conditions," according to ClickOrlando. One child told deputies the fecal matter in a bedroom had been there for "approximately one month" and was "hard as a rock." A deputy reported seeing someone actively scraping fecal matter from a wall and manipulating it with their hands. The affidavit notes that Nishikura acknowledged how bad the home had gotten and said she could not manage the children on her own.
Charges, bond and where the case goes next
Flagler County authorities booked Carla E. Nishikura on three felony counts of child neglect without great bodily harm, with bond set at $2,500 per count, according to WFTV. She was transported to the Flagler County jail, and the Florida Department of Children and Families was notified, as noted in the affidavit. Prosecutors are expected to review the case while detectives continue their investigation.
Part of a pattern of grim welfare checks
This is not the first time Flagler County deputies have walked into a house and found squalor this year. Previous releases from the Flagler County Sheriff's Office detail other welfare checks that uncovered unsanitary, unsafe conditions and led to arrests and referrals to DCF. In earlier cases, deputies reported soiled bedding, infestations and similar hazards that triggered criminal charges and child-welfare investigations. Officials continue to urge residents to report concerns quickly so deputies and caseworkers can step in before conditions spiral even further out of control.
