EAST NAPLES, Fla. -- A Collier County mom is facing a child neglect charge after a neighbor found her toddler alone for hours screaming outside of the family apartment.
Collier County deputies arrested Loreta Cibirkiene Monday after an early morning disturbance at an East Naples apartment complex.
According to the arrest report, investigators say a neighbor heard "blood curdling" screams coming from outside his unit just after 5 a.m. and went to see what was happening. Outside, the witness found a small child standing in a doorway screaming in her nightgown. The child had urinated herself and could not communicate beyond basic grunting noises.
Investigators determined the child showed signs of neglect and failure to thrive.
After trying to find the child's parent, the witness called authorities. When deputies arrived at the child's home, they eventually located Cibirkiene who returned home around 7 a.m. and provided a vague explanation for why she had left the child alone at home. Investigators were provided a receipt of cleaning supplies that Cibirkiene had purchased while out which showed she had been gone for at least two hours.
After inspecting the inside of the apartment, investigators found squalid conditions including a bird outside of a cage sitting on a toilet, feces, a refrigerator filled with spoiled food, and a floor covered with items with no place to walk.
The Department of Children and Families removed the child from the home and Cibirkiene was taken into custody. Domestic Animal Services was called to take custody of the bird.
Cibirkiene was scheduled to make her first court appearance Tuesday afternoon.
