A Citrus County mother is accused of leaving her 11-year-old son, two cats and two dogs home alone for six days without food, water and air conditioning.
Deputies described the home as being in "deplorable condition" with piles of urine and feces in every room.
April Emberton, 35, of 5660 S. Power Terrace, in Homosassa, is currently charged with animal cruelty.
She is out on $4,000 bond.
A concerned neighbor contacted deputies after the little boy came to their door begging for food.
"He had no food," said the man who called police. "He told neighbors all he had eaten was a slice of bread."
The neighbor who called 911 asked ABC Action News to protect his identity.
According to an arrest report, when deputies arrived at the home on Sept. 5, they found its windows open, fans on, lights on and a television on in the back bedroom.
"Like when it rains and a cesspool comes up or sewers back up," the neighbor said of the smell.
At the time, no one was in the home.
Officers returned September 6 and found the boy.
According to an arrest affidavit, the boy reportedly told deputies he was left at the residence to watch over it and to care for the animals while his mother went to Georgia for a court appearance.
The little boy told authorities he ran out of pet food the day after his mother left, an arrest affidavit states.
Deputies searching the home noted floors covered in feces and urine.
The boy reportedly gave the deputies and animal control officers a tour of the home and was walking through the urine and feces barefoot because he did not have shoes, an arrest report states.
According to deputies, they were shown piles of feces, animal urine and garbage on the floor of every room. In some rooms, deputies say the saw puddles of animal urine and urine that had dried and congealed on the floor.
There were also piles of feces with mold on them, deputies say.
"It's bad parenting and it's really bad to do to animals. they can't even talk," the neighbor added.
The animals were confiscated and DCF was called.
Emberton would not answer the door when ABC Action News knocked for comment Monday afternoon.
The district attorney is now deciding whether Emberton will be charged with child abuse/neglect.
Her four children are in the care of DCF.
