A 14-year-old girl was found living alone in a filthy mobile home in Alabama with seven dogs, one of which was dead and rotting in a wardrobe. Her mother and stepfather have been arrested on charges of child neglect and animal cruelty.
The teenager was spotted stumbling down a road by an employee of a Dollar General store, who called police. The girl complained of stomach pain and dizziness, and was taken to hospital. She told investigators she had been living alone in the mobile home since February 2025.
When police searched the caravan, they found it covered in urine, faeces, rubbish and insects. Inside, they discovered three dogs living, one dead dog in a wardrobe, and three more dogs outside. The girl said her mother and stepfather were living in Florida.
Marchelle Pertilla, 43, and Eugene Medrano, 52, were arrested after visiting the girl in hospital. Pertilla faces one count of child abuse and six counts of second-degree dog cruelty, while Medrano is charged with one count of child abuse and five counts of second-degree dog cruelty, according to the Mobile County Sheriff's Office.
Investigators also found a handwritten note in the girl's bedroom that read: 'How many times mom tells me that she can't pick me up.' The note had 87 dash marks. Sheriff Paul Burch said: 'Which would lead one to believe that at least 87 occasions she wanted her mom to come back up... And she didn't. This is physical abuse, but I would say it's more emotional abuse.'
The couple told police the girl did not want to leave her service animals. The girl is now in care, and the investigation continues.
