A June 2024 photo depicts the Muncie, Indiana house where Daniel Good allegedly kept his 5-year-old daughter and a 78-year-old woman in “unlivable” conditions (Google Maps).
A 25-year-old father in Indiana has been apprehended for supposedly keeping his 5-year-old daughter and a 78-year-old woman in a home so dirty and rundown that authorities wearing hazmat suits were affected by the sights and smells within the residence.
Daniel Matthew Good was arrested on Thursday and faces a charge of felony neglect of a dependent, as per records reviewed by Law&Crime.
On September 25, an officer from the Muncie Police Department responded to a home on the 1600 block of East Andover Avenue following a request for assistance, as reported by the local Star Press, citing a probable cause affidavit. The call reportedly originated from a social worker who had spoken with a 78-year-old woman in the home who required medical help.
Upon reaching the residence, the officer interacted with emergency medical personnel who reported that the 78-year-old victim was infested with lice and other insects, stating they were “all over her body,” according to Indianapolis Fox affiliate WXIN. The elderly victim’s connection to Good was not immediately apparent.
The home’s leaseholder reportedly told authorities he had previously discussed with the tenant, identified as Good, about cleaning the home, but alleged Good did not heed the advice. The leaseholder also informed the police that Good lived in the home with a 5-year-old daughter and the elderly woman.
The officer described the home as “deplorable, unacceptable and filthy,” per the Star Press.
As the officer prepared to enter the home, the Muncie Fire Department reportedly told him he would have to wear a hazmat suit as well as a gas mask due to “bugs, flies, smells and other issues” inside the home. Upon entering, the officer described watching cockroaches and bedbugs “scurry through the door” before he was hit with a stench he described as “so bad it made my eyes water.”
Inside, police said there was dirt, bugs, and fecal matter “all over,” including the kitchen and bathroom, which appeared as though they had not been cleaned in some time, WXIN reported.
After walking through the house, the officer concluded that the “deplorable” conditions made the house “unlivable,” reportedly saying that the visit left him “appalled.” An employee with the Indiana Department of Child Services who had responded to the address agreed with the officer and concluded that the child could not live in such a home.
When Good arrived at the home with his daughter, authorities said her clothes and shoes did not fit properly and her arm was covered with dirt and bug bites.
Police placed Good under arrest and transported him to the Delaware County Jail for processing. He remained incarcerated on bond of $10,000 as of Monday, records show. It was not immediately clear when he was next scheduled to appear in court.
