JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Three other children have been removed from the home of a mother accused of neglect in her 13-year-old daughter's death, according to the Department of Children and Families.
DCF said the children, ages 5, 7 and 8, have been placed in the custody of other family members.
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Doctors said 30-year-old Jessica Rivera's daughter, who was mentally disabled, was malnourished, covered in lice and had core temperatures that were 15 degrees lower than normal, according to police.
Ramona Bones was found in her Cocoa Avenue home on June 24 in bad condition. She died June 30, and her mother was charged with child neglect.
Rivera's boyfriend, Edgar Lopez, told Channel 4 at the home Thursday that he didn't speak English and didn't want to talk about the case.
"The Department of Children and Families responded immediately when we got this report of abuse," DCF spokesman John Harrell said. "It's tragic that this child lived this way and died this way."
Rivera told police her daughter was mentally disabled and that Ramona was sometimes a "burden" to her. Neighbors told Channel 4 they didn't know that Rivera's daughter was even inside the home.
"We were here when they were carrying her out of the house," neighbor Linda Pacheco said. "That's how we found out there's another baby."
"No one has seen that child and, you know, my mom lives there and I still hadn't seen that child," neighbor Jeana Greene said.
DCF said it's cases like Rivera's that should act as a reminder for neighbors to take action if they think a child is being abused.
"If you've got a child who neighbors say they didn't know about, they didn't see, well, that's very chilling as well," Harrell said. "We'd urge people, if they suspect the children are living in situations of squalor, please call us."
Police arrested Rivera the night she called 911 to get help for her daughter. Police said now that Rivera's daughter has died, more charges are pending against Rivera.