Deltona parents jailed after toddler found in retention pond

Volusia County deputies arrested two Deltona parents on Saturday after finding their four-year-old child standing in a retention pond.

Officers located the toddler at the intersection of Oasis and Gainesville Drives just before 8 a.m. The child was wearing only a diaper and was waist-deep in the water. Deputies pulled the child from the pond and reported the toddler was uninjured but non-verbal.

Officers walked to the nearby residence and found the front door open. Fermin Medrano-Perez, the child's father, answered when deputies called out. Jeneixa Rodriguez-Crespo, the child's mother, was at work and returned home after receiving a call from law enforcement.

Deputies described the interior of the home as having an overwhelming smell of feces and urine. They observed live and dead insects inside and found a caged dog standing in its own excrement. Upon entering, officers noted urine and feces on walls and most kitchen surfaces. They also identified black mold in the refrigerator and bathroom.

Perez told deputies the couple had attempted to exterminate the bugs and cleaned the dog waste off the floor once a week. He cited his full-time work schedule and a lack of funds for the bug infestation as the reasons for the home's condition. The child's grandfather later picked up the toddler, and the Department of Children and Families was notified.

Perez and Rodriguez-Crespo face charges of child neglect and animal cruelty. Both are currently held in the Volusia County jail on no bond.