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HARTFORD, Conn. — A Hartford family’s growing unease over unexplained footsteps in the apartment above them led to a disturbing discovery this week, when a neighbor found a two-year-old girl living alone in hazardous conditions.
Candace Wilkins, who lives in the unit below, told local news outlets she began hearing what sounded like a child running back and forth above her apartment. When water began leaking through her ceiling several days later, she went upstairs to investigate.
According to Fox 61, Wilkins knocked on the door and was met by a toddler who appeared dirty and distressed. The child told her no adults were home. When Wilkins looked inside, she found the apartment in extreme disarray and immediately called police.
Responding officers described the scene as one of the worst cases of neglect they had encountered. The apartment was reportedly covered in human and animal waste, with razor blades, electrical cords, and other hazards scattered across the floor. A faucet had been left running and a window open, which caused the water leak into the apartment below, according to WFSB.
Investigators said the child had been left alone with two dogs for an extended period. She was transported to Connecticut Children’s Medical Center for evaluation and later placed in state custody.
Police located and arrested the child’s parents, identified as 24-year-old Hendyliz Marrero and 28-year-old Ignacio Castro. Both were charged with risk of injury to a minor and each was held on $100,000 bond.
Authorities described the conditions as “nearly uninhabitable” and praised Wilkins for intervening before the situation worsened.
“It’s a miracle that someone noticed and acted,” one officer said. “This could have ended much differently.”
The case remains under investigation by Hartford police and the Connecticut Department of Children and Families.
