A West Virginia man is facing disturbing accusations after authorities say he left his young son locked in a garage for days on end while he traveled out of state.
West Virginia man leaves son in garage while on trip
Investigators allege the father vanished to Florida, leaving his 8-year-old boy with no food or water for an entire week.
Juan Jose Benitez-Chacon, 34, was arrested Monday and charged with gross child neglect creating a substantial risk of serious injury or death, according to court filings.
Deputies with the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to his Clarksburg residence on August 15 after a tipster said the boy was living in a “small garage.”
A man has been charged after allegedly leaving a child in a garage without any care or adult supervision for a week in Harrison County. https://t.co/XqPgY22ygf
— DC News Now (@DCNewsNow) August 25, 2025
Officials noted the boy had been left “without access to food, water, bathroom, medical assistance or adult supervision while inside of the garage.”
Investigators said the boy told them that his father had traveled out of state, leaving him completely alone.
“When we spoke with the child and through the investigation it was determined that he was alone for approximately one week while his father is in Florida with no known return date,” the deputy wrote, according to West Virginia News.
Authorities revealed that while neighbors attempted to provide some minimal care, it was not consistent or sufficient.
“The child did have assistance from neighbors throughout the day but did not have any assistance during the nighttime hours and was not in sight or audible range during the nighttime hours of adult assistance,” the affidavit stated.
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Prosecutors said the situation created an “extremely unsafe” environment, particularly if the boy had faced any kind of emergency with no adult present.
West Virginia man has neglected his son before
Court documents reviewed by WDTV detailed the grave risk the child endured while confined in the garage.
This is not the first time Benitez-Chacon has faced allegations of child neglect.
Records show that in 2023, he was charged with a felony after allegedly leaving his then-6-year-old son unattended while he went out drinking.
That case was later reduced after he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor child neglect, resulting in a sentence of one year of unsupervised probation.
Now, the West Virginia man finds himself behind bars again. He is currently being held at the North Central Regional Jail on a $100,000 bond.
During a court appearance Monday, Benitez-Chacon pleaded not guilty.
Florida woman left her children in disgusting condo
Elsewhere in Florida, a 34-year-old mother is also under arrest after police allege she left her children alone in filthy conditions inside a Miami Beach condo.
Authorities say Miriam Shvetz is facing two counts of child neglect without great harm, according to Miami-Dade court filings.
Police were called to her condominium on Collins Avenue last Thursday after a 911 call came in from her ex-husband.
The man reportedly dropped off his 5-year-old and 9-year-old children at the condo in the early afternoon, only to discover they were left without supervision.
Miscellaneous Politics – 'She had things to do': Florida woman allegedly left children home alone in 'filthy' condo filled with 'flies' and 'insects' https://t.co/iLDc5F1UEa via @JLAFORUMS #MiriamShvetz
— JLA FORUMS (@JLAFORUMS) August 25, 2025
He told officers that when he had spoken with Shvetz earlier in the day, “she did not communicate with him that she was not going to be home.”
Responding officers noted hearing a child on a video call crying and speaking with their mother.
One of the officers then made contact with Shvetz, who allegedly confirmed that she was away and could not return immediately “because she had things to do.”
Inside the condo, officers described deplorable conditions.
“Officers noted that the apartment smelled of rotting food and urine,” the report stated.
“The walls and floors were filthy and the kitchen had old food and dirty dishes scattered throughout, with flies and insects,” the report continued.
“One of the toilets was clogged and full of old urine and feces. Feces (were) also scattered throughout the bathroom floor.”
Authorities say the case is further complicated by a long-running custody battle between Shvetz and her ex-husband.
Records indicate the couple divorced in 2022, and disputes over their three children have continued since.
Police noted they had been called to her residence multiple times in connection to the dispute.
The ex-husband also told investigators that Shvetz had failed to enroll two of the children in school and did not plan to.
He has since taken steps to enroll them himself. Their third child, age 7, is currently attending school.
Shvetz was taken into custody on Thursday but has since been released from the Miami-Dade County Jail after posting $5,000 bond. She is expected back in court for arraignment on September 19.
