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Leesburg parents arrested after infant dies covered in dirt, feces, police say

Leesburg, Fla. — Two Leesburg parents are facing negligent-death manslaughter charges after their infant child died covered in what appeared to be dirt and feces, police said.

Mark Brittian and Margaret Lehman are both facing manslaughter and negligent death of a child charges.

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Leesburg Police around 3 a.m. on Sept. 2 responded to the 400 block of Pine Street in reference to an unresponsive 11-month-old infant who was not breathing. Emergency crews took her to a nearby hospital where she was pronounced dead a short time later.

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Police noted in the arrest affidavit that the infant was “covered in dirt and what appeared to be dried feces” and “the palm of the infant’s hands and the bottom of her feet were so covered in dirt and grime that areas appeared dark brown and her skin color was not visible.”

The child also appeared to have severe bruising on her lower back and buttocks, as well as open sores between her upper thighs and vagina, police said.

The infant weighed about 13 pounds and was “extremely underweight and underdeveloped,” the affidavit states.

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Police described the home of the family as “deplorable” with an overwhelming odor of garbage and rotten food. The home was also “extremely cluttered, almost as if hoarders resided there.”

Cocaine was also found in Brittian’s system, according to the affidavit.

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Adam Poulisse, WFTV.com

Adam Poulisse joined WFTV in November 2019.