Mom facing charges after police find 5 children living in squalor conditions

By Joe Gorchow

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    MIAMI, Florida (WFOR) — A Miami mother has been arrested after police discovered her five children living in an apartment overrun with roaches and garbage.

Dishon Michell Lopez, 33, surrendered to police on March 6 and was transported to Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. She faces five counts of child neglect.

Children removed, court sets visitation limits

During her bond hearing Friday, a judge inquired about the children’s whereabouts. Lopez’s defense attorney confirmed they were now in the care of other family members, with an open dependency case pending.

The judge outlined the charges against Lopez: five third-degree felony counts of child neglect without great bodily harm and imposed restrictions on her contact with the children.

“Any and all orders entered in dependency court regarding your contact, visitation and custody shall supersede and replace this court’s order,” the judge stated.

Lopez responded, “Yes,” indicating she understood the ruling.

Investigation reveals unsafe living conditions

According to the arrest report, Lopez lived in an Overtown apartment with her five children, ranging in age from 3 to 16. Miami Police launched an investigation after the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) was alerted to the “unsanitary” and “deplorable” conditions inside the home.

A witness from the Public Housing Community Development first raised concerns in December, reporting “garbage all over the floor, flowing into the hallways.”

Lopez was given a 30-day notice to clean the home, but when officers returned weeks later, they found “hundreds of roaches” and a floor “barely visible” beneath the debris.

Neighbors react with shock and sympathy

Neighbors were stunned to hear about Lopez’s arrest.

“I don’t know what her mental state was,” said one woman who wished to remain anonymous. “I feel bad. No mother should have to go through something like this alone.”

The neighbor added that had she known about the situation, she would have offered help.

“I don’t judge. I have plenty of friends I’ve helped and they’ve helped me. We do it because we’re single moms and sometimes we need extra help.”

According to the arrest report, the children were removed from the home last month. Investigators noted that they had lived in these conditions for an unknown period of time.

Lopez remains in custody as the case moves forward.

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