- December 16, 2025
The following is an adapted press release from the Flagler County Sheriff's Office:
A 33-year-old Palm Coast woman was arrested late Sunday afternoon and charged with three counts of child abuse and 30 counts of animal cruelty.
Theresa Martone was arrested at her home at 18 Reid Place, in Palm Coast, following an investigation by the Florida Department of Children and Family Services.
Deputies said when they arrived at the home, there was a pungent odor coming from the house. Inside, deputies found Martone’s three children, ages 5, 8 and 14, surrounded by garbage and animal feces.
Martone’s 5-year-old child told deputies she had not bathed in several days, possibly weeks.
A DCF investigator took custody of the three children. It has not been determined whether the children were enrolled in a Flagler County school.
An investigator with Flagler County Animal Control Services removed six dogs, 22 cats, two ferrets and a rabbit from the residence. Deputies said the family had been living in the Palm Coast home for the past three months.
“These children were living in deplorable conditions,” said Flagler County Sheriff Donald Fleming. “This mother should have reached out for help before the situation became this desperate.”
Martone was being held without bond Monday in the Flagler County Inmate Facility.
For previous crime news, click here.
