A Florida woman was arrested last week after her four children were found living in deplorable conditions — which also entailed her young daughter being kept in a closet for nearly a month, police said.
Jacksonville police responded to Alexandra Ebey’s home on December 14, after a neighbor reported that she had not seen Ebey’s 5-year-old daughter and suspected she was dead. Ebey brought the girl outside, and officers said she appeared weak and emaciated, according to WJXT.
According to police, Ebey’s 5-year-old also had open wounds all over and skin falling off her body.
The neighbor who alerted police told WFOX that Ebey’s other children had bites all over their bodies, appeared malnourished, and had missing patches of hair. She said she contacted authorities upon noticing the children’s health was declining and not seeing the 5-year-old for nearly a month.
Ebey’s daughter was taken to the hospital. Once there, the girl reportedly told investigators that she was locked in a closet for 25 days — where she was handcuffed and not fed. The girl also said she was tied down with a rope and belt and forced to use the bathroom in a bucket that was kept in the closet, according to WTLV.
Jacksonville police alleged the girl was let out of the closet six days before they responded to the home. Police also said her injuries were consistent with being handcuffed for an extended period of time.
Ebey, 37, is charged with child neglect with great bodily harm. She remains jailed on a $50,000 bond. The Department of Children and Families has custody of her four children.
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[Featured image: Alexandra Ebey/Jacksonville Police Department]
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