Toddler wearing dirty diaper, covered in bug bites found crossing highway, police say; 2 arrested

Credit: Volusia County Sheriff's Office

Credit: Volusia County Sheriff's Office

A Florida man and woman were arrested on child neglect charges Monday after a 2-year-old boy was found crossing a highway wearing only a dirty diaper with his arms covered in bug bites, according to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office.

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Officials said a Titusville woman reported she was southbound on U.S. 1 around 10:30 a.m. when she noticed the boy trying to cross the roadway. The woman stopped her car in the road to intercept the child and stop other vehicles from possibly striking him, authorities said.

A deputy who arrived at the scene later tracked down the two individuals he believed to be responsible for the alleged neglect: 28-year-old Yajaira Tirado and 25-year-old Jacob Krueger. Upon entry to their home in the 400 block of U.S. 1, the deputy found them unresponsive and apparently under the influence of drugs because they were frothing at the mouth and not answering his commands, authorities said.

The two woke after the deputy yelled and struck a wall, according to a release.

The deputy said he found the home to be in deplorable condition, with trash and dirty clothes piled up. He also said there was only one bed without sheets in the entire home.

The deputy knew how to find the two because of a prior case in which Tirado was charged with child neglect. In that incident, another child called 911 to report two children being left alone with an aggressive dog and an unsecured shotgun in the home, deputies said.

The boy was placed in the custody of the Department of Children and Families.

Tirado and Krueger were transported to the the Volusia County Jail.

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