Police in Alabama have arrested the parents of a 14-year-old girl who they allege was abandoned in a roach-infested, filth-riddled home and left there for nearly a year.
The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement it was called Sunday, January 4, to the Dollar General in Eight Mile, Alabama, to check on a teenaged girl who employees said was stumbling outside the store and complaining of stomach pain. She also reported feeling dizzy, according to the statement.
The girl allegedly told police her mother and stepfather — later identified as Marchelle Pertilla, 43, and Eugene Medrano, 52 — worked in Pensacola, Florida, and left her to live alone so they could make money.
Seven dogs were found on the property. A dead dog was found inside a closet in the home.
Police took the girl to the hospital for evaluation and continued interviewing her. The Dollar General employee who called police, Jessica Smitherman, told WKRG the girl smelled “very bad” and it appeared she hadn’t bathed in a very long time.
“It breaks my heart that she was in that situation,” Smitherman offered. “And I wish she would have came to me sooner.”
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She allegedly told cops she had been living alone since February of 2025. She allegedly said she last saw her mom and stepdad around Halloween.
She said that she would use Snapchat to contact her mother, who would order food to the house from DoorDash or groceries delivered by Walmart, according to the release.
Pertilla and Medrano were called by hospital staff and returned to Alabama. When asked why they had left the daughter home alone, Pertilla allegedly said the girl did not want to leave her service animals.
Pertilla and Medrano were taken into custody, and animal control officers were called in to care for the dogs.
It is alleged in the press statement the inside of the home was uninhabitable, covered with feces and trash. Officers said the smell of urine was overpowering and that roaches had infested the residence.
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During a search of the home, detectives allegedly found a handwritten letter authored by the girl. “How many times mom tells me that she can’t pick me up!” it read, following by 87 dash marks, cops said.
“We are continuing to search for answers on why this young girl was living alone and whether or not others tried calling law enforcement,” Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch said in the release. “Thank goodness for the employee with Dollar General who contacted the county, and we were able to respond. If you see something, say something, it could mean the difference between life or death.”
Speaking to WKRG, which has photos taken from inside the home, Burch said, “I can’t imagine the emotional part of just knowing your parents would leave you to fend for yourself.”
“She’s still young enough that she can get past this, and she can have a good life,” said Smitherman.
If you suspect child abuse, please call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or visit ChildHelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential, and the hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
