WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. — A Pasco County mother of 5 took in three neglected girls after learning they had been left alone in an apartment without food, power, or running water.
Jasmine Young, whose children attended school with the three girls, said her daughter noticed something was wrong and learned more about the girls' living conditions after asking questions.
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"A lot of rage, sad," Young said. "I'm a mom of 5. I have 14 down to one-year-old and I can't imagine like I just don't, I don't get it.... You don't just leave your children like that knowingly because the mother did come back and visit and she knew that there was no power and she still decided to leave them again."
Despite already raising five children of her own, Young said she didn't hesitate to take the girls in for a couple of weeks.
"...Because it's not a stranger, it's a kid," Young said.
According to a Pasco Sheriff's Office arrest report, 35-year-old Heather Wizbicki faces 3 counts of child neglect after leaving her three children — ages 9, 13 and 14 — alone in their apartment on September 21 without food or water and with little money.
Young described what the children told her about Wizbicki's visits.
"They said like $3 to $5 she would visit maybe once a week or so, give them $3 to $5 and then just say she was going to a friend," Young said.
Young said she had been inside the apartment and that the conditions were deplorable.
"If you walk in there alone, you could hear the gnats. You could hear the flies before you even, if you hold your breath, you hear it all, and afterwards you just, you feel gross. You want to shower. There's trash all over the floor," Young said.
Deputies also reported finding feces on the floor and rotten food inside the home. After a neighbor raised concerns, deputies investigated and found a cat without food or water as well.
"It's just hot trash like taking [trash to] a dumpster," Young said.
A neighbor said she was also left in disbelief.
"I honestly can't believe that she did that because I'm a mom -- I can't see how I leave my kids with no food, no lights, no nothing," Jamie said.
Young said the girls had been in survival mode for so long that they missed out on simply being kids. She added they are now living with another family member in a different state.
"I'm hoping that now that they're with a family member that they're able to just be kids," Young said.
Jon Wisenbaker, manager of the Pasco Children's Advocacy Center, said it's important to speak up if you suspect a child is being abused or neglected.
"If you see children who appear dirty, disheveled, they may have a flat affect or seem down or depressed. Kids with poor hygiene, or maybe they appear tired….," Wisenbaker said. "It's better to be safe than sorry."
Pasco County Schools responded to the case in a statement.
"The safety and well-being of our students is always a top priority. Under Florida law, all school employees are mandatory reporters and must immediately report any reasonable suspicion of child abuse or neglect to the Florida Department of Children and Families," Pasco County Schools said.
"We remain committed to ensuring our students feel safe, supported and cared for. To protect student privacy and the confidentiality of investigations, we cannot comment on individual students or specific reports."
If you have concerns about a child's safety, you can call Florida's Abuse Hotline at 1-800-962-2873 (1-800-96-ABUSE).
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