In a disturbing case that has shocked an Alabama community, a couple was taken into custody after a 911 call uncovered a 14-year-old girl living alone in deplorable conditions for several months. The call was made by a manager at a local Dollar General store, setting off an investigation that revealed severe neglect.
Marchelle Pertilla, 43, and her husband, Eugene Medrano, 52, are now facing serious charges of child abuse and aggravated cruelty to animals. According to WKRG, the authorities have described the conditions in which the girl was found as appalling.
The situation came to light when Jessica Smitherman, an assistant manager at the Dollar General, noticed the teenager wandering the aisles. Smitherman recalled seeing the girl months earlier, accompanied by a young boy, shopping without any adults. This time, however, the girl appeared disheveled and clearly in distress.
“I remembered her from months ago, but she was with a little boy back then. They would come in to do some grocery shopping, always without an adult,” Smitherman explained. This latest encounter with the girl was different; she looked like she hadn’t bathed in quite some time.
Concerned for her well-being, Smitherman approached the girl, who seemed unsteady on her feet. “She was staggering,” Smitherman recounted. “I could tell something was definitely wrong. I sat her down outside the store and asked if there was anything I could do to help, even offering to call her mom.” The girl, in response, requested medical assistance, prompting Smitherman to call for an ambulance.
Further details and charges are expected as the investigation continues, but this case has already raised significant concerns about the welfare of children in the community.
The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office launched an investigation and learned that Pertilla and Medrana had moved to Pensacola nearly a year ago, leaving the girl behind because she didn’t want to leave her service dogs. The girl said her mother occasionally sent food deliveries to the home but said she hadn’t actually seen her since October.
Then investigators went to the home. They found seven dogs — one dead in a closet — and roaches, trash, feces, and, urine all over the home.
“One of the alarming things discovered during the search warrant was she had some writings that was titled how many times mom didn’t come pick me up and she had hash marks. There were 87 hash marks,” said Sheriff Paul Burch.
Burch said the dogs were taken by animal control and the girl was taken into custody by the Department of Human Resources.
