Florida man arrested after toddler found wandering alone

PALM COAST, Fla. (TCN) -- Authorities recently arrested a 39-year-old man after finding a toddler roaming around alone and learned the child lived in "deplorable conditions" in a residence with multiple children.

According to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office, on Sept. 27, a concerned citizen called law enforcement to report an unattended toddler who entered her car while she was delivering groceries. The woman said the child appeared to be between 1 and 2 years old and exited her vehicle before walking across the street and entering an open garage.

Upon their arrival, deputies noticed trash and discarded food on the floor through the front window. The sheriff's office knocked on the door, and Nicholas Carter answered. He reportedly told authorities the child was 2 years old and walked to the driveway alone, but the toddler "was only outside for a few minutes."

According to deputies, Carter admitted he kept the door to the garage open and was in another room when the toddler wandered away. The sheriff's office learned there were several children in the home, ages 2, 4, 8, 15, and 16 years old, and they lived with Carter, their mother, and a roommate.

During a search of the residence, deputies "could smell a strong odor of feces, urine, mold, and mildew." They also observed "large clumps of fecal matter" while the children were walking throughout the home barefoot.

The sheriff's office called the living conditions "unsafe and horrid." When they searched the laundry room, authorities reportedly found trash, food, and they noticed "clumps of fuzzy fecal matter," indicating they had been there for several days. Inside the kitchen, deputies saw dirty dishes, cockroaches, flies, rotting food, as well as food waste along the floors and counters. The sheriff's office said knives were left out and could easily be accessed by the kids.

During an interview, Carter told deputies the young children slept in the master room, where officials saw more trash and urine along the floor. The sheriff's office also observed feces in the closet, flies, and noticed that two beds and blankets and pillows were placed on the floor.

Carter told deputies the toddler enjoyed hanging out in the garage, where they discovered multiple power tools, exposed wires, sharp objects, a BB gun, and a smoking pipe for marijuana, which were all within reach of the young child.

The roommate, who lived in the residence for around two years, allegedly "described the living conditions as 'frowned upon.'" The roommate told deputies Carter was the children's primary caregiver, and their mother was wasn't home as often as Carter.

When asked about the conditions of the home, Carter allegedly said it was a "a little dirty," and he failed to provide a reasonable explanation as to why there was fecal matter, urine, and sharp objects inside.

Deputies arrested Carter on charges of child neglect without great bodily harm for failing to provide proper care, supervision, and services necessary to maintain the children’s health and safety, as well as obstruction without violence. The sheriff's office notified the Florida Department of Children and Families about the case. Carter was booked into the Flagler County Jail on Sept. 27 and released on bond the following day.

According to the sheriff's office, deputies responded to the residence 16 separate times since January 2023, including once in March 2023, after a child was found "wandering in the roadway." In December 2023, Carter also reportedly called the Palm Coast Fire Department after a child allegedly ingested marijuana and had a seizure. Carter faced a charge of child neglect another time in February 2020.

In a statement, Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said, "Five children, three under the age of 10, living in deplorable conditions with an adult who obviously doesn’t care about these children."

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