A Clermont woman was arrested after spraying deputies with chemicals when they came into her flooded apartment to seize a neglected child.
Deputies received a call from a male complainant who advised that he was trying to contact 36-year-old Crystal Lorraine Velez and his child at their apartment in Clermont on Friday, according to an arrest report from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
The complainant tried to get into the apartment that day, but it seemed to be barricaded with objects behind the door. He had been unable to reach Velez by phone for the past four to five days, as well. He stated that she had a history of poor mental health and had recently been baker acted due to poor suicidal threats, the report said.
Deputies first met with the complainant at the apartment complex before trying to contact Velez, but they got no answer. They were able to open the front door and took note that it was barricaded from the inside of the apartment, leading them to believe that someone was inside. Due to concern for the people inside the apartment, deputies unblocked the door and made a path to move within the apartment, the report said.
Deputies began clearing the inside and announcing their presence. They then found the furthest bedroom door locked and forced entry to the room. Once they started to get in, they heard screaming from a woman and what sounded like cooing or crying from a small child, the report said.
After gaining partial access to the bedroom, the woman, later identified as Velez, began dousing the deputies with an unknown substance from a spray bottle that contaminated four deputies. One of them was able to deploy a taser to force Velez into compliance while others grabbed the child and brought her to her father outside, the report said.
The four contaminated deputies were taken to South Lake Emergency Room due to being sprayed in the face and mouth with what was believed to be chemical degreaser at the time that caused a burning feeling. Velez was placed into custody despite pulling away and transported to Lake County Jail for battery on a law enforcement officer, the report said.
LCSO detectives later spoke with one of the deputies who when into the apartment and was contaminated. He advised that the entire apartment was cluttered to the point where there was barely any room to walk within it and was extremely hazardous to any person inside the apartment, the report said.
Additionally, when the deputy got into the locked bedroom, he noticed the child was sitting on top of a dresser that was about three feet tall while Velez was spraying deputies with the chemical. He also stated that the floor of the apartment was flooded with water. He remembered Velez making statements about trying to protect her children, the report said.
The detectives then arrived at the scene and spoke with the complainant who advised that he left Velez and the apartment about three months ago due to her mental health. When he left, it was clean and orderly. He feared for his child’s safety due to her behavior and the condition of the residence. The deputy also observed the child, who appeared healthy and happy, who only had a few red marks on her back caused by unknown means, the report said.
The detectives next spoke with the community manager who advised that she was in the process of evicting Velez from the apartment. She had been getting complaints from the tenants living underneath Velez’ apartment that there had been water seeping into their apartment from the roof and believed it to be from her, the report said.
There were also two open windows in Velez’ apartment that the detectives could see from the parking lot of the complex. The windows appeared to have screens acting as a barrier. One window had wood and objects in it while the other did not have anything visible blocking a small child from breaking through the screen if they were able to push on it, the report said.
One of the detectives subsequently and successfully applied for a search warrant. Upon entry into the apartment, every piece of furniture was overturned, and every appliance was disconnected. It was apparent that every water outlet was being used to flood the apartment due to the floor having standing water and heavily saturated carpets, the report said.
The only signs of food were two jars of puree baby food, a few cans of food and a bag of uncooked rice. The refrigerator was also disconnected and moldy. There was no electricity to the apartment, the report said.
A designated area for the child to sleep was not apparent, although a dismantled bed frame for a child’s bed was found. Each window screen had small, easily movable objects blocking the window. Two of the screens appeared damaged, and all could be pushed open with the weight of a toddler, the report said.
The report noted that Velez failed to provide a child with the care, supervision and services necessary to maintain the child’s physical and mental health, including but not limited to food, nutrition, clothing, shelter and supervision that a prudent person would consider essential for the well-being of the child.
Velez was ultimately arrested on charges of four counts of battery on law enforcement officer and neglect of a child (domestic). The New York native was transported to Lake County Jail with bond set at $10,000.