'Does not feel safe': Mother left young son alone in filthy home with 'aggressive dogs' for weeks on end without food, deputies say

A Florida parent is accused of leaving her young lad unsocial for weeks successful their location with "aggressive" dogs and unsanitary conditions passim the residence.

Ashley Burdick, 41, stands charged with child neglect without large bodily harm, Brevard County tribunal records state.

After her arrest, she has been released from jail.

On April 10, a Brevard County Sheriff's Office lawman responded to a location successful Merritt Island, Florida, owed to "a neighbour being acrophobic that a young kid was near unsocial astatine location for astir 4 days successful the institution of aggregate dogs with nary big supervision," according to an apprehension affidavit.

The lawman pointed retired that the "young child" had a "diagnosis for autism."

The lawman "made contact" with the child, but the lad said "he could not reply the doorway owed to the aggregate assertive dogs wrong the residence" and alternatively they spoke done a bath model astatine the beforehand of the house," according to the charging document.

The kid reportedly affirmed that helium had been location unsocial for astir 4 days, authorities say. He gave instrumentality enforcement officers his mother's number, but erstwhile they tried to telephone her, they accidental the telephone enactment went instantly to voicemail.

Deputies subsequently contacted the Florida Department of Children and Families to investigate.

When interviewed by a authorities investigator, the lad mentioned "physical unit being done to him" by his mother, according to the affidavit. He besides said that "on 1 juncture helium became intoxicated aft drinking a foodstuff successful the refrigerator that, chartless to him astatine the time, contained moonshine alcohol."

When the researcher went to the residence, "she noted that the conditions were unsafe for a child," the charging papers continues.

"She observed feces connected the level and wide unsanitary conditions," the affidavit reads.

The kid allegedly said that successful the past helium had been "left with nary nutrient and helium did not devour for astir 2 weeks," according to the charging document. He allegedly added that "he does not consciousness safe" and that helium is "not enrolled successful immoderate signifier of schooling."

The redacted affidavit states investigators spoke with idiosyncratic other who told them Burdick has fixed the kid to her astatine times due to the fact that Burdick needed a "break." This witnesser besides reportedly claimed that the suspect contacted her "and instructed her to not talk to the Department of Children and Families regarding the existent situation."

Burdick is expected to beryllium arraigned successful tribunal connected May 14.