A FedEx worker rescued a five-year-old boy that was allegedly left alone in a rat infested, feces covered apartment in the Bronx, where he was trying to deliver a package.
The boy’s parents, Wilfred Lewis, 59, and Charlotte Lewis, 48, were arrested after the delivery worker knocked on the door of the Kingsbridge Ave apartment around 11:30am Friday morning and found the boy alone. When the little boy answered, the FedEx worker asked where his parents were.
The five-year-old responded, ‘They’re not home.’
The view of the hellish conditions inside the rat infested, feces covered apartment in the Bronx where a five-year-old was allegedly left to fend for himself
Charlotte Lewis, 48, (pictured with her children) is a nurse and Montefiore Hospital, police arrested her there on Friday
Door to apartment 2J where a FedEx worker discovered boy, 5, was left alone in vile conditions
The worker left the building and flagged down an officer for help, according to the NY Post.
When police broke open the door they say they found the child alone in the apartment with feces smeared on the walls, roaches, bed bugs, maggots and even rats running around the squalid apartment.
The boy told police he had not seen his parents since Thursday night.
Authorities say the horrific conditions were made worse for the boy left to fend for himself, as there was no food in the fridge, according to the DailyNews.
The parents’ three other children, a 12-year-old girl, a 13-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy were not home either.
Charlotte, a nurse at Montefiore Medical Center, was arrested at work.
Wilfred, a Metropolitan Transportation Authority technology trainer, told police his 5-year-old son was ‘self-sufficient,’ and was home sick from school.
The father surrendered at the 50th Precinct.
Charlotte and Wilfred are charged with failing to exercise control of a minor.
The boy’s father is also being charged with child endangerment.
All of the children were taken to Montefiore Hospital, where their mother was arrested, to be treated.
Squalid apartment were the boy was left alone was inside this apartment building in the Bronx
Wilfred and Charlotte Lewis’ four children are currently in the care of the Administration for Children’s Services
They are all currently with the Administration for Children’s Services, who had previous contact with the family.
ACS’ Deputy Commissioner for External Affairs Eric Ferrero released a statement to ABC7:
‘Our top priority is protecting the safety and well-being of all children in New York City. We are working with the NYPD to investigate this incident, and the safety of all of the other children who were in this home has been secured.’