Two parents living and working in Pensacola, Fla. were arrested this week after their 14-year-old daughter told authorities she had been living alone just outside of Mobile for nearly a year.
On Sunday, the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to the Dollar General at 3975 Jarrett Road concerning a 14-year-old girl experiencing dizziness and stomach pain, according to a news release.
An employee notified authorities after observing the girl stumbling down the road in front of Dollar General.
She was transported to a hospital for evaluation and was interviewed by an MCSO Detective with the Child Advocacy Center.
During the interview, the girl told the detective that she had been living alone with her dogs at 3955 Jarrett Road since Feb. 2025, around the time of her birthday, according to the release.
She said that her mother, Marchelle Pertilla, and stepfather, Eugene Medrano, live and work in Pensacola.
She told the detective the last time she saw them was Oct. 31, and that their communication was primarily through Snapchat.
Her mother would send food via DoorDash or Walmart deliveries, according to the release.
After being contacted by the hospital, Pertilla and Medrano responded and were interviewed by MCSO Detectives.
When asked why their daughter was left alone, Pertilla told officers the girl did not want to leave her service animals.
Pertilla and Medrano were subsequently arrested, charged with Child Abuse, and transported to Metro Jail.
On Jan. 5, MCSO and Prichard Animal Control executed a search warrant at the residence where the girl was living on Jarrett Road in Eight Mile.
MCSO reports the interior of the single-wide trailer was covered in urine, feces, roaches, trash, and various miscellaneous items.
A total of seven dogs were located on the property, with four found inside and one dog found dead inside a closet, according to the release.
The surviving dogs were taken by Prichard Animal Control.
Detectives say they also recovered a handwritten letter from the girl’s sleeping area titled, “How many times mom tells me that she can’t pick me up!” which contained around 87 dash marks and was collected as evidence.
“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.”
