Couple jailed after 2-year-old 'barricaded' in closet; another with bad diaper rash in PSL
PORT ST. LUCIE -- Two people were arrested Wednesday after police reported a 2-year-old child was found “barricaded” in a closet and a 2-month-old had diaper rash to the extent the baby required medical attention at a hospital, according to Port St. Lucie Police on Thursday.
Rebecca Worthington, 27, and James Spiess, 28, were jailed on two counts each of child neglect, said Sgt. Dominick Mesiti, police spokesperson.
He said investigators about 3:48 p.m. Wednesday went to an address in the 1600 block of Southeast Burgundy Lane regarding a state Department of Children and Families investigation of alleged child neglect of four children, the eldest being 3 years old.
The address is just west of U.S. 1 between Southeast Lyngate Drive and Southeast Veterans Memorial Parkway.
DCF officials spoke with Worthington regarding the neglect allegations, Mesiti said.
Three of the children were in the common area of the home, and officials asked to see the fourth. She said the child was sleeping in one of the bedrooms.
In a bedroom, officials found Spiess sleeping on a mattress on the floor.
“The child was nowhere to be seen. And then next to the mattress was a closet area that was barricaded from the outside with baby gates, dog gates, plywood, two chairs (and other items),” Mesiti said. “That way the door could not be opened.”
Officials opened the door and found the 2-year-old inside, awake with a mattress. It was dark, and the closet was about 2? feet by 8 feet.
“It looked like that closet space was his bedroom, basically,” Mesiti said.
Meanwhile, the 2-month-old had diaper rash to the extent it required treatment at HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce, Mesiti said.
He said there were general allegations the children were malnourished and the caretakers didn’t properly provide for them.
“Both the adult caretakers did admit to marijuana use, but they said the last time that they both partook in that was over two weeks ago,” Mesiti said.
Spiess was held Thursday in the St. Lucie County Jail on $50,000 bond, while Worthington was held on $20,000 bond, according to information accessed via the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office website.
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Will Greenlee is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Will on X @OffTheBeatTweet or reach him by phone at 772-267-7926. E-mail him at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Two jailed on child neglect charges; 2-year-old 'barricaded' in closet