A Dade City man was arrested and charged with three counts of child neglect after strangers found three children roaming an apartment complex on Saturday, May 13.
Deputies say Billy Sanchez, 34, failed to provide three children with the care and supervision necessary to keep the children healthy, both physically and mentally.
On Saturday, an 18-month-old, 2-year-old and 4 -year-old were found by strangers running around alone through an apartment complex. All three children had to cross a major street to get to the apartment complex.
The 18-month-old was found alone wearing only a dirty, sagging diaper. The other two children were found together running around. They were barefoot and covered in dirt from head to toe. The 2-year-old was completely naked and the 4-year-old only had a shirt on.
Deputies responded and Sanchez admitted to being asleep when the deputies arrived. Deputies say the home had an odor of urine and feces. Sanchez told them all four children who lived in the home, slept on an old mattress which his oldest child sometimes urinated on.
Three witnesses helped locate the three children.
Sanchez was arrested and transported to the Land O' Lakes Detention Center for Child Neglect.