FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — At least 10 children were taken from a North Lauderdale home to a local hospital for evaluation Thursday afternoon, the Broward Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputies were called to the home shortly before 7 a.m. for a “domestic disturbance,” the Sheriff’s Office said. The Sheriff’s Office did not provide the address of the home.
Deputies took one woman into custody for questioning, and Special Victims Unit and Child Protective Investigation Services continued their investigation at the home.
North Lauderdale Fire Rescue then took the children to a local hospital “as a precaution,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
Fire rescue crews went to the home in the 1500 block of Southwest 66th Avenue about 3:30 p.m. Thursday, North Lauderdale City Manager Michael Sargis told WPLG-Ch. 10. Sargis told the station that the call was related to “neglect” but did not provide additional details.
Ch. 10 reported that city officials said the address is a foster home.
Sargis did not respond to calls from the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Neighbors on Southwest 66th Avenue said they often see children as young as age 3 playing outside alone.
Commissioner Mario Bustamante has lived in the neighborhood since 1988 and returned home late Thursday afternoon.
He had just heard the news, and was shocked — he often drives by the house and sees two or three kids playing outside, but never thought anything strange was going on.
“I thought it was just regular kids,” he said. “I always thought it was something normal.”
Bustamante and his wife said they would often see kids outside riding bicycles.
Officers and fire rescue officials were no longer at the home as of about 5 p.m. Thursday.
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