Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Latasha Cheree Neal, 36, was arrested yesterday on two counts of child neglect with great bodily harm after authorities said she failed to obtain medical care for her children’s serious skin conditions. Neal had previously been sentenced to four years of probation on the same charges following an October 2025 arrest.
According to an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy, Neal’s probation requires her to take her children to all annual medical visits and any necessary follow-up appointments. The Department of Children and Families opened a new investigation after both children were again reported to be suffering from severe eczema.
Investigators reported that while Neal was held in the Alachua County Jail between her arrest and plea agreement, the children received monthly care from a dermatology practice. They were prescribed a medication administered once a month, with a two-month supply reportedly mailed at no cost, though the children’s caregiver is responsible for arranging refills.
During the period Neal was in jail, both children reportedly “showed tremendous improvement.” After her release, however, investigators said she did not refill the prescriptions or bring the children to the recommended monthly dermatologist appointments. Without continued treatment, their eczema allegedly worsened to the same severity documented at the time of Neal’s 2025 arrest.
Authorities said both children are expected to have permanent scarring across large portions of their bodies due to blistering and bleeding from the untreated eczema. A doctor reportedly described eczema at that level as “extremely uncomfortable” for the children, but said the condition is “completely treatable” and would not have deteriorated to its current state with consistent medical care. The doctor also reportedly said it was the worst case of eczema she had ever seen.
After being read her Miranda rights, Neal reportedly told the deputy she had been giving the children their medication since her release from jail in February. The deputy noted, however, that the prescription had not been filled since March. Neal also reportedly said she had regularly applied hydrocortisone cream to both children.
When the deputy asked why she had failed to provide appropriate medical care over the previous seven months, allegedly allowing the children’s conditions to become substantially worse, Neal reportedly did not respond. She insisted that she cares for her children, but when asked again why she had not ensured they received proper treatment, she again reportedly gave no answer.
Neal reportedly stated repeatedly that she had administered the children’s medication, but the deputy said this was not true because the prescription had not been filled. Neal reportedly said the children’s outbreaks could be from excessive mold and roaches in her residence, or they could be allergy-induced.
At the conclusion of the interview, Neal was arrested, and she has been charged with two counts of child neglect with great bodily harm and two counts of violation of probation. She has three misdemeanor convictions (non-violent), and Judge James Colaw withheld adjudication of guilt on the previous two child neglect felonies. Judge Meshon Rawls set bail at $30,000.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
