A heartbreaking tally marked a silent scream for help. A 14-year-old girl, abandoned in a desolate Alabama mobile home, meticulously etched over eighty lines on a piece of paper, each stroke representing a desperate plea: ‘How many times mom tells me that she can’t pick me up!’ This simple note, discovered by investigators, unveiled a hidden world of loneliness and neglect.
For nearly a year, the girl, who has special needs, lived alone after her mother and stepfather moved to Florida, leaving her with seven dogs as her only companions. She hadn’t seen her parents in person since Halloween, her contact reduced to fleeting messages and infrequent grocery deliveries. The silence stretched, punctuated only by the gnawing ache of abandonment and the weight of a life lived without adult care.
The truth surfaced unexpectedly, triggered by a chance encounter outside a Dollar General store. Employees noticed a young girl struggling along the roadside, her appearance and demeanor immediately raising alarm. She was weak, unwell, and repeatedly complained of stomach pain, confessing she often passed out. It was clear she desperately needed help.
Witness Jessica Smitherman described a haunting scene. The girl hadn’t bathed in months, her clothes matted with dog hair, and a pervasive odor clung to her. She staggered as she walked, a visible manifestation of her suffering. Smitherman, deeply concerned, sat her down and gently questioned her, ultimately prompting the girl to ask for an ambulance.
Police found a disoriented and malnourished teenager, her body aching with pain. She revealed a life lived in isolation, supposedly homeschooled while her parents built a new life an hour away. Her lifeline to the outside world was Snapchat, and her sustenance came from sporadic food deliveries, a meager existence sustained by dwindling hope.
A search warrant revealed the horrifying reality of her living conditions. The mobile home was a landscape of filth: floors coated in dirt, animal feces, and insects. Garbage overflowed from rooms, and a bathtub held stagnant, dark brown water. A single, tragic discovery – a dead dog locked inside a closet – underscored the extent of the neglect. Six other dogs were rescued from the squalor.
Sheriff Paul Burch described the case as profoundly disturbing, emphasizing the emotional toll above all else. “It’s a horrific case,” he stated, “This is physical abuse, but I would say it’s more emotional abuse.” He spoke of the unimaginable pain of a child left to fend for herself, a feeling he understood as a parent himself.
When confronted, the parents attempted to minimize their actions, claiming the girl chose to stay behind for the sake of her animals. But authorities were unmoved. “A 14 year-old doesn’t get to make that decision if you’re a parent,” the Sheriff asserted. “The parents should have stepped up and did the right thing.”
Marchelle Lynn Pertilla and Eugene Medrano were arrested and charged with child abuse and animal cruelty. The investigation expanded, revealing that two other children had been removed from their care in Florida. The full scope of their actions continues to be investigated, as authorities piece together the details of this devastating case.
Now, the teenage girl is receiving the care and support she desperately needed from Alabama’s Department of Human Resources. Sheriff Burch credited the quick thinking of the Dollar General employees, emphasizing the importance of vigilance. “If you see something, say something,” he urged. “It could mean the difference between life and death.”
