A couple has been taken into custody following the discovery of their 14-year-old daughter living in extremely unsanitary conditions in a caravan with seven dogs, one of which was deceased. The teenage girl was found wandering down a street complaining of stomach pain and dizziness. The mother, Marchelle Pertilla, 43, and her partner, Eugene Medrano, 52, are facing charges of child neglect and abuse. Pertilla is also accused of six counts of second-degree animal cruelty, while Medrano faces five counts of the same charge, as reported by the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office in Alabama.
The incident came to light when an employee at a Dollar General store noticed the distressed state of the teenager and alerted the authorities. The girl revealed that she had been living alone in the caravan since February 2025, with her mother and stepfather residing in Florida. Despite periodic deliveries of food and supplies from her mother, the living conditions were deplorable, with filth, insects, and waste littering the trailer. A deceased dog was found inside a wardrobe.
During the investigation, it was revealed that the girl had been left alone because she did not want to leave her service animals. The parents visited her in the hospital, where they were subsequently arrested. The sheriff’s office disclosed that three dogs were found outside, three inside, and one dead in a closet. Authorities are looking into why the girl was left unattended and whether others attempted to seek help from law enforcement.
Additionally, a distressing handwritten note with 87 dash marks was discovered in the girl’s room, indicating repeated pleas for her mother to pick her up. Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch expressed concern over the emotional impact of the situation, emphasizing the gravity of leaving a young child to fend for themselves emotionally and physically.
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