FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. — A Palm Coast woman has been arrested on multiple child neglect charges after deputies say she abandoned her children at a hospital and kept them in unsafe living conditions, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Sandra Teague, 58, was arrested April 30 and charged with three counts of child neglect.
Deputies responded to AdventHealth Palm Coast after a 17-year-old arrived at the emergency room and told staff his mother had dropped him off because she was upset. The teen was wearing socks but no shoes and told deputies his younger siblings — ages 14 and 13 — had also been abandoned.
Investigators quickly located the other two juveniles, who said their mother became upset earlier that day after one of the family’s dogs died and blamed them. According to deputies, the children said Teague told them “this is the last straw,” drove them to the hospital, ordered them out of the car and left.
The children also told deputies this was not the first time they had been mistreated, reporting they were frequently locked out of the house and forced to sleep outside when their mother was upset.
Deputies located Teague at her residence and launched an investigation. Authorities said they found concerning conditions inside the home, including strong odors, garbage accumulation and animal feces throughout the residence.
The Florida Department of Children and Families responded to assist.
During a search warrant at the home, deputies said they found 44 dogs, three pigs, a cat and a snake living inside the residence, along with multiple deceased animals in kennels. Palm Coast Animal Control assisted in removing the animals.
Teague was taken to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where she is being held without bond.
Officials said the investigation remains active and additional charges are possible.