A case manager reported the home’s conditions before a separate welfare call brought deputies to the residence the following day.
PALM COAST, Fla. — A Florida child welfare case manager had visited a Palm Coast home and reported unsafe living conditions one day before deputies found three children there and arrested their caregiver on felony neglect charges, according to an arrest affidavit and local reporting.
The sequence has raised questions about how quickly authorities responded after the home came to the attention of the Florida Department of Children and Families. The available records show that the case manager reported the conditions, but they do not provide a complete timeline of the agency’s decisions or establish whether any required procedure was missed.
Deputies arrested Carla E. Nishikura, 41, on July 16 after responding to a report that a child with autism was wandering outside naked and barefoot. A neighbor returned the child to the residence before law enforcement arrived.
Inside the home, investigators reported fecal matter on floors, walls and ceilings, along with a strong odor and damaged electrical outlets that exposed wiring within reach of the children. One bedroom had a bed frame but no mattress and was contaminated with human waste, urine and broken eggs, the affidavit said.
A case manager told deputies that she had been inside the home the previous day and had reported its condition to the Department of Children and Families. Local reporting also said an effort was made to arrange a cleaning service, but the crew declined the job because the conditions were considered a biohazard.
The publicly available accounts do not say precisely when the case manager submitted the report, what risk level the agency assigned to it or what additional action was planned before deputies arrived. The department’s complete case record was not available, and details involving the children would generally be restricted because of their ages and involvement in a child welfare investigation.
Flagler County officials said deputies contacted the department after evaluating the home. Department representatives then assisted with finding placements for the three children. Their identities, ages and current locations were not released.
Nishikura told deputies that she was unable to manage the home and children on her own, according to the affidavit. She also said the child found outside is nonverbal, has a history of leaving the residence and apparently escaped through the garage while she slept.
She told investigators that she normally secured interior door handles with zip ties but had forgotten to do so the night before. That explanation addressed how the child left the home but did not resolve investigators’ concerns about the conditions found inside.
Nishikura was booked on three counts of child neglect without great bodily harm. Flagler County jail records listed a $2,500 bond on each charge, for a total of $7,500. The booking record identified her as an inmate awaiting trial and did not list a court date.
The charges remain allegations. No information was immediately available about whether Nishikura had entered a plea or retained an attorney, and the Department of Children and Families had not publicly released a detailed account of its response before the arrest.
Author note: Last updated July 18, 2026.