A late-night disturbance call led deputies to three unsupervised children and prompted Florida child-welfare officials to take custody of four siblings.
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — Four children were placed in the custody of Florida child-welfare authorities Friday after deputies said they discovered three of the siblings alone in a trailer that had no running water or electricity and was filled with garbage and spoiled food.
The Florida Department of Children and Families intervened after Miami-Dade deputies responded to the property early Friday and reported conditions they believed raised concerns about neglect. The children’s mother, 25-year-old Leslie Quinones, was arrested and faces four felony counts of child neglect without great bodily harm, according to an arrest report cited by Local 10. The children were later taken to a hospital for well-being evaluations.
The case began at about 12:12 a.m. when deputies went to the 900 block of Northwest 81st Street after receiving a report of a violent dispute involving a man and a woman. Deputies could not locate the caller and did not hear an argument at the trailer identified in the original report. While checking the area, however, a deputy noticed activity near a fence behind one trailer and then approached a neighboring home.
Authorities said trash and small, open alcohol bottles were visible outside the neighboring trailer. Its front door was slightly open and unsecured, according to the arrest report. A deputy knocked and announced his presence but received no response. When the deputy opened the door, authorities said, he found three children sleeping inside without an adult supervising them.
The report said one child was asleep on a bed wearing a school uniform, another was sleeping in a soiled diaper and a third was lying on the floor under a blanket. Deputies said garbage covered parts of the interior and made walking through the trailer difficult. Moldy food was found on a bed near one of the children, according to the report.
Investigators also reported that the toilet contained wastewater and that the trailer appeared to lack running water, electricity and air conditioning. The arrest report said investigators learned that electrical service had been shut off because Quinones was two months behind on rent. The report did not say how long the trailer had been without electricity or running water.
After finding the children, deputies contacted DCF and tried to locate their mother. Authorities said about 40 minutes passed before a woman arrived at the property with another child. Deputies identified the woman as Quinones, bringing the number of children involved in the investigation to four.
According to the arrest report, Quinones told deputies she had argued with her boyfriend and left for a friend’s home, believing the boyfriend remained at the trailer with the children. Deputies said there was no adult inside when they entered. The available report did not explain where the boyfriend went or whether investigators were seeking charges against anyone else.
DCF workers responded to assess the children’s living environment. According to the arrest report, the agency found that concerns about neglect were supported by conditions that included the lack of water, insufficient food and unsuitable living space. DCF took custody of all four children following its assessment.
At the agency’s request, the children were transported to Jackson North Medical Center for evaluations. Authorities did not disclose their ages, and the arrest report did not provide additional information about the results of those examinations. Their longer-term placement also was not disclosed.
Quinones was arrested and booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. She remained jailed Friday afternoon and was expected to go before a judge in bond court. The charges are allegations, and the available reporting did not establish a final court outcome or release additional information about the ongoing child-welfare case.
Author note: Last updated November 14, 2026.