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Mother arrested after child knocks on neighbor's door begging for food

A Georgia mother has been arrested after police say she left her daughter home alone, hungry and in deplorable conditions.

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MARIETTA, GA. — A Georgia mother has been arrested after police say she left her daughter home alone, hungry and in deplorable conditions.

Officers with the Marietta Police Department said Deborah Oats left her 11-year-old at home in their apartment while she went out.

The child then knocked on the door of James Fisher, Oats' neighbor.

"She wanted help, she wanted us to do something about it," said Fisher.

Officials said Fisher and his wife gave the girl some food. She fell asleep on their couch, and, when she woke up at 2 a.m., her mom still wasn't home.

According to Fisher, the child told him, "They're probably out clubbing, like it happens a lot."

Fisher called the police while his wife went into Oats' apartment.

Officials said the apartment had no air conditioning, and Fisher's wife found cockroaches, animals in poor condition and feces everywhere.

"It was a wreck," said Fisher. "If you've seen 'Hoarders,' it was almost like that. No AC in the middle of the Georgia summer means the living conditions were horrible for all parities involved."

When police tracked Oats down, she was in an area officials know to be a popular site for drugs. Oats was arrested and faces a $10,000 bond.

Her daughter is in custody of the state.

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