Marion County woman accused of neglecting, starving children

MARION COUNTY, Fla. — The Marion County Sheriff’s Office said they came across two children who lived in the woods with their parents and didn’t even know their own names.

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According to Marion County Deputies, the Florida Department of Children and Families had an open case on the household, but this arrest only came after a man called 911 when the children showed up with their father at a Dollar Tree.

Deputies said a 911 call from a concerned citizen reported a man screaming that he was both Jesus and the devil, and the kids in the man’s care were screaming for help.

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The sheriffs said they arrested a 36-year-old Cassie Quick and her husband of 11 years, the man claiming he was Jesus, was taken into custody and evaluated for mental illness.

According to a news release, Quick left her children in her husband’s care despite knowing he was bipolar and had been experiencing worsening mental episodes.

“If he was on medication and mentally stable and getting the help he needed. That would be totally different, but you’re leaving them in this care knowing this.” the deputy said.

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The arrest report explains the children were covered in a layer of dirt when deputies arrived on the scene.

The Sheriff’s Office didn’t release the ages of the children but said they had been living in a bus in the woods, had limited verbal skills, were acting like they were starving, only knew their first names, and did not know their birthdays.

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According to the arrest report, the DCF investigators checked on the family three times over the past month.

“They did discuss to you about school, and you disclosed that you didn’t want them in there because of school shootings and COVID, “The Deputy said  “So the resources were given to you but you chose not to take them”

Channel 9 contacted DCF to learn why the children were allowed to remain with Quick and her husband. A DCF spokesperson said they were working on a response, Channel 9 has yet to hear.

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