Police: Mom Leaves 3 Yr. Old In Younger Sister's Care Inside "Filthy" Home
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FORT LAUDERDALE(CBS4)----An 18-year-old mother came before judges in two Broward courtrooms on Monday after being charged with leaving her 3-year-old son in her younger sister's care in a filthy house.
An arrest affidavit said the mother had neglected her son "for some time due to her constant drug use."
Brittany Michelle Postell is charged with child neglect with great bodily harm and is being held on $3500 bond after an appearance in bond court.
Circuit Judge John Hurley read from the arrest affidavit which said that Postell "willingly and intentionally" left her 3-year-old son with her younger sister in a home that was
"unfit for any child or any persons to be in."
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"The home was in complete disarray, filthy, [with] no running water, no electricity and infested with flies," said the affidavit. "There was nothing inside the residence for the child to eat. The child himself was completely filthy from head to toe. It was apparent that he hadn't been bathed in several days. The child had several rashes throughout his body and appeared to have not eaten in some time."
The affidavit said the home at 2761 N.W. 6th St. in Pompano Beach "was filled with drug paraphernalia. There were three other adults inside the home that appeared to be under
the influence of some form of narcotics. The defendant was located two blocks away with some friends."
The affidavit says a deputy returned Postell to the home and she was arrested without incident.
"The defendant did willingly and intentionally place the child in immediate danger and has neglected him for some time due to her constant drug use," said the affidavit.
Postell told Hurley that she was not employed and had "no money in the bank." She said she had been living at the home for the past "two or three years." She said her mother paid her rent and said the last time she worked was "three to four months ago" as a customer service representative.
Judge Hurley said the home was "not a good environment for the child."
Hurley ordered that Postell have "no contact" with her son unless that was reversed by Department of Children and Families or another Judge.
At a shelter hearing later in the day, Circuit Judge Susan Lebow said Postell could have "supervised visitation" with her son.
Postell's 3-year-old son and 15-year-old sister are in temporary DCF custody and Lebow said there would be additional shelter hearings for the children on February 2nd.
In an unusual twist to this story, Postell's 44-year-old mother Angela Postell was also brought to the shelter hearing in handcuffs. Records show she was arrested on December 24th in an unrelated case of grand theft.
Both Postell and her mother declined to say anything to CBS4's Peter D'Oench when he asked them if they wanted to comment. "No there's nothing I can say," said Angela Postell.
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