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Kids found in home with a 'few million' roaches

Posted 5:43 PM, May 20, 2016
and last updated 11:41 AM, May 21, 2016

A Palm Beach County couple was arrested Friday after deputies said they were living with their two children in a house full of filth, roaches and discarded food.

According to a Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office report, a deputy went to a home on Bracelet Drive in suburban Lake Worth for a suspected child neglect investigation.

The residents of the house, husband and wife Robin Earlynn Royall, 38, and Travis John Royall, 34, were present when the deputy arrived to investigate.  

PBSO said a smell of urine was coming from the home and the deputy saw "well over 5,000 cockroaches in the downstairs family room alone."

"When I opened the fridge, you could barely see the bottom of the drawers and shelves due to the amount of dead cockroaches, bugs and cockroach eggs," the deputy wrote in a report. "When I opened the oven, about 100 cockroaches fell down and began scattering.  The oven was full of discarded food and appeared to not have been cleaned for years."

Robin Royall told the deputy there were "probably a few million" roaches inside the house.

The investigator also found cobwebs with spiders and the floor was wet and sticky with urine along with human feces.

The house had no running water or air conditioning and the temperature was 87 degrees inside, according to the report.

Piles of dirty laundry were also found discarded along with an unflushed toilet.

Neighbors say they've complained to code enforcement officials numerous times about the outside of the Royalls' home.

"They maintain absolutely nothing," said next door neighbor Tammy Garceau. "You can see that from the outside... This does not surprise me one bit."

Garceau says the family doesn't mow or maintain the yard and leaves trash lying around in both the front and the back.

"Good thing, at this point, the children are in better hands," Garceau said. "I mean, that's unfortunate as well, but at least they are clean and fed."

The arrest report states that this is the third time the Florida Department of Children and Families responded to the house.

In 2012, DCF removed the children from the couple's care.  The children were once again removed from the home and placed in the care of DCF on Friday. DCF officals say they've placed the children with relatives for the time being.

The Royalls were arrested and charged with child neglect. 

Story updated to clarify that in 2012 DCF removed the children from the couple's care, not custody.