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Police: Woman deprived in-laws of food for 6 straight days at Baldwin Park apartment

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A 37-year-old Orlando woman was arrested after she deprived her in-laws of food for six straight days at their Baldwin Park apartment to punish them, police said.

Umme Ferdousy was charged with two counts of neglect of an elderly or disabled adult.

Ferdousy's 66-year-old mother-in-law told police she and her 70-year-old husband were given nothing but water, investigators said. They tried to call the Florida Department of Children and Families.

Ferdousy's mother-in-law was hospitalized for dehydration, weakness and fatigue in October, a police report said.

The woman said Ferdousy wouldn't allow them to make food for themselves, and they were afraid to ask her for food. She said Ferdousy verbally abused them, calling them "evil" and "pigs."

Phillip Snelgrove said he once saw the suspect's husband bring his parents bags of potatoes.

"I was up here painting," he said. "It's like my third day on the job, and I heard them out there screaming about food. They didn't have any food."

The suspect's husband told Channel 9 by telephone that the living situation isn't working out and that he wants to move his parents back to Bangladesh.

"Everybody seems to have money over here," Snelgrove said. "And to deprive them of food and stuff...  I think they might not have any money."

Ferdousy was granted a $15,000 bail.

Police said she was also arrested on a battery charge after she slapped her mother-in-law last year.

The suspect's husband said his wife is a good mother and that he hopes the state attorney's office will drop the charges against her.

Jeff Deal

Jeff Deal, WFTV.com

I joined the Eyewitness News team as a reporter in 2006.