Children deserve safety, care, and a loving home.
That’s not too much to ask from any parent.
But a Miami Gardens mother made one horrific discovery about her priorities that left authorities stunned.
Miami Gardens police respond to disturbing call
Miami Gardens police thought they were heading to a routine domestic disturbance call on Friday evening.
Officers were dispatched just before 8 p.m. to investigate reports of a possible fight on Northwest 36th Avenue.¹
But what they discovered when they arrived at the scene was far worse than any argument between adults.
Upon arrival, officers were directed to a home in the 17600 block of Northwest 37th Avenue.
What they found inside that residence would shock even veteran law enforcement officers who have seen it all.
Nine children – ranging in age from just 1 year old to 10 years old – were living in conditions so appalling that police immediately knew they had stumbled onto something much bigger than a neighborhood dispute.²
https://twitter.com/PodcastsXMedia/status/1952446366996627938
The children appeared "unbathed and covered in filth" according to the official police report.
That was just the beginning of what officers would uncover.
The deplorable conditions inside the home
Officers were hit with a foul odor the moment they approached the residence.
During their welfare check, they discovered feces and roaches scattered across the kitchen floor.³
Garbage was strewn throughout the bedroom floors and was literally "flowing out of closets" throughout the home.
The refrigerator – supposedly the place where food is stored to nourish growing children – contained no edible food whatsoever.
Look, we’re not talking about a house that needs a good cleaning here. Nine kids were living in genuine squalor.
Ashley Lashay Jennings, 30, was identified as the mother of all nine children.⁴
Think about that for a moment. Nine children under one roof, and not one of them was getting basic care.
Mother arrested and charged with multiple counts of neglect
Police didn’t have to debate whether this crossed the line into criminal territory.
The evidence was overwhelming that Jennings "willfully failed or omitted to provide the victims with the care, supervision and services necessary," according to the sworn affidavit.⁵
She was arrested on nine separate counts of child neglect – one for each of her children whose welfare she had ignored.
Jennings was transported to Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center without incident following her arrest.
When she appeared in Miami-Dade court on Sunday, the judge granted her pre-trial services but made it clear she must comply with a Department of Children and Families case plan.⁶
The Department of Children and Families released a statement acknowledging they "conduct investigations concerning all allegations of abuse, neglect, or abandonment in Florida," but noted that information regarding their investigations remains confidential.
The broader implications of child neglect cases
This Miami Gardens case represents one of the most disturbing examples of parental neglect that local authorities have encountered in recent memory.
Nine children – including babies and toddlers – were forced to live in conditions that would be considered inhumane for animals, let alone developing human beings.
One of those kids was barely a year old. That baby has never known a clean home or proper care.
Here’s what bothers people most about cases like this – neighbors, teachers, someone had to have noticed something was wrong. Kids don’t just disappear from sight without adults knowing.
Nine children living in those conditions couldn’t get themselves out. They needed someone to step in.
Credit goes to the officers who recognized what they were looking at and acted fast to get those kids to safety.
You see this pattern in neglect cases across the country. Usually there’s addiction involved, mental health issues, money problems. Sometimes all three.
But here’s the thing – none of that excuses leaving kids to live like animals.
The Department of Children and Families has their work cut out for them now. Nine kids need immediate care, and some of them are going to need serious help dealing with what they’ve been through.
The older ones especially – they’re going to remember this.
What happened in Miami Gardens isn’t unique. Child abuse and neglect cases pop up in communities everywhere, which means all of us need to pay attention to what’s happening around us.
¹ CBS Miami, "Miami Gardens mom faces neglect charges after nine children found living in ‘deplorable conditions,’ police say," CBS Miami, August 5, 2025.
² NBC6, "Mom arrested after 9 kids found living in ‘deplorable conditions’ in Miami Gardens: Cops," NBC6, August 4, 2025.
³ Local 10, "Miami Gardens mother of 9 arrested after children found living in filth with no food, cops say," Local 10, August 5, 2025.
⁴ Ibid.
⁵ The Blaze, "Florida woman arrested after police found her 9 children unbathed and covered in filth," The Blaze, August 5, 2025.
⁶ NBC6, "Mom arrested after 9 kids found living in ‘deplorable conditions’ in Miami Gardens: Cops," NBC6, August 4, 2025.
