A dehydrated and drugged baby rescued in Madrid from the unsanitary home of his drunken parents

On Sunday morning, a two-month-old infant was rescued from a dilapidated home in Madrid’s Tetuán district after being found in a severely compromised condition. The child had been left in a state of dehydration, excessive sleepiness, and tested positive for stimulant substances. According to reports from the National Police, the baby was discovered on the edge of a bed, nearly ready to fall, in a house described as unsanitary and unfit for human habitation. Both parents were reportedly intoxicated and under the influence of drugs when the police arrived.

The incident occurred around eight o'clock in the morning following a complaint from neighbors on Castilla Street, located within the Tetuán district. These residents had noticed a heated argument between a couple living in a ground-floor apartment. When the National Police patrol arrived, they encountered a woman in her late twenties who was visibly drunk and under the influence of narcotics. Upon entering the property, the officers found conditions that were far worse than anticipated. The dwelling was filled with trash, animal waste, insects, cockroaches, and food spoiled in the kitchen and refrigerator. There was also no ventilation, making the environment even more hazardous.

Inside one of the rooms, the officers found the father, a man in his early forties, completely drunk and barely conscious beside the baby. The child was in a dire state—his diaper was soaked in urine and feces, indicating he hadn’t been changed in several days. He showed signs of severe dehydration and was excessively sleepy, which is unusual for someone of such young age. The mother, a woman in her late twenties, admitted she was breastfeeding the child but could not provide coherent explanations about how he had been cared for during the night. It was later confirmed that the baby had tested positive for cocaine due to the mother's drug use, which can transfer to infants through breast milk.

Both parents were arrested for attempted assault and resistance against authority, as well as charges of injury and neglect of a minor. The authorities have already initiated procedures to remove parental custody from the couple. At the time of the rescue, a municipal police unit had also arrived near the location due to a report about a stray greyhound dog wandering the streets. Once identified via its microchip, the dog was traced back to the same residence where the couple was allegedly mistreating their infant. As a result, the couple now faces additional charges related to animal cruelty.

The intervention took place shortly after dawn in a building on Castilla Street. For several days prior, neighbors had been enduring loud parties, shouting, and disturbances coming from the property. On Sunday morning, they decided to call the police after hearing a particularly intense argument between the couple. What the officers found upon entering the premises exceeded the initial reason for the alert. The mother opened the door clearly showing symptoms of intoxication, barely able to stand and speaking incoherently. Inside, the police found the house in extremely poor sanitary conditions: piles of garbage accumulated in the rooms, empty beer cans, decomposing food remnants, animal feces scattered throughout the floor, cockroaches in the kitchen, and even insects among the stored food in the fridge. There were also traces of tobacco, transparent bags used for consuming narcotics, and the smell inside was overwhelming due to the lack of cleanliness.

In one of the rooms, the officers found the father completely drunk on a bed. Beside him lay the baby, positioned on the edge of the mattress with a risk of falling to the floor. The officers observed that the child was in an alarming state of abandonment. His diaper was saturated with feces and urine, he was visibly dehydrated, and exhibited an unusual level of sleepiness for his age. When asked who had taken care of the child overnight, neither parent could offer a coherent explanation.

Due to the severity of the situation, emergency services including medical personnel from Samur-Protección Civil and a psychologist were activated. The report prepared on-site pointed towards possible cases of abuse and neglect. During the assistance, the mother admitted to having consumed alcohol and drugs and acknowledged that she continued to feed the baby through breastfeeding. The officers conducted a preliminary drug test on her, which came back positive for cocaine and opioids.

At this point, the officers began questioning the parents, who became very aggressive and claimed they did not need to answer questions about their son. Eventually, the parents were detained, and the baby was immediately transported to the University Hospital La Paz, where medical tests confirmed the presence of cocaine in his system according to police sources.

Additionally, the operation uncovered a case of animal abandonment. In the house there was a cat and a dog, and the officers found a greyhound dog owned by the couple wandering the streets uncontrollably. The animals were removed by municipal services and taken to the Animal Protection Center. During the arrest, one of the officers sustained injuries from a struggle with the suspects and required medical attention.

A neighbor of the property stated to the officers that she had called the police numerous times before due to the continuous incidents occurring at the residence.