Nurse Accused of Starving Child with Severe Medical Conditions, Resulting in Liver Failure

A nurse practitioner in Florida is accused of child neglect after allegedly starving a child who needs 24/7 medical care. 

Police arrested 62-year-old Kelly Rita Perrigo on Wednesday, Feb. 5 in connection with a report filed by a Cape Coral, Fla., woman in in September, the Cape Coral Police Department said in a statement. 

The woman, who is not named, alleged that Perrigo was lying about giving food to her child. Based on her home security footage, she believed that Perrigo was actually throwing it away, per the statement. 

The child, whose age is not disclosed in the statement, requires 24/7 care due to their “severe medical conditions” and Perrigo is part of a roster of nurses who work 12-hours shifts to take care of the child, the mother told police. 

On this specific occasion, which took place on Sept. 14, the mother alleged Perrigo said that the child had taken all of their nighttime bottles, police said in the statement.

The home surveillance footage showed otherwise, the mother said. They allegedly showed Perrigo trying to feed the child for 2-5 minutes before putting the child in the crib and leaving the room with the bottle still full. Then, the kitchen camera allegedly showed Perrigo appearing with an empty bottle, per the statement. 

“The [mother] believed Perrigo would empty the bottle in the bathroom sink before going into the kitchen,” the statement said. Eventually, she said she learned that Perrigo had not fed the child since Aug. 17 — nearly a month earlier.

Investigators reviewed the footage, which they said was consistent with the mother’s account.

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The child suffered severe health complications, including liver failure, since Perrigo began working for them in February of last year, the mother alleged. The child also exhibited lack of energy and weight loss during this time.

Perrigo has been charged with felony child neglect, police say. According to Lee County Jail records, she was released on a $50,000 bond. Online court records did not show plea or attorney information.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.