The malnourished boy began shouting from the apartment, seeking his neighbor’s help after being trapped inside for days.
When Natalya informed her 10-year-old son, Mikhail, that she was stepping out to walk the dog, little did he know that it would be over a week before she returned. 31-year-old Natalya Azarenkova abandoned her child in their squalid apartment for eight days.
Left alone in the house with no provisions, the 10-year-old boy found himself stranded in the house infested with roaches after his mother disappeared along with their dog. The only food available was dry rice, but with no water, even cooking it was not an option.
Neighbors in Peredelkino, Moscow, discovered Mikhail’s distressing state when they heard him calling for help from their apartment. After managing to attract the neighbors’ attention, the emaciated boy confessed to being home alone but pleaded with them not to involve the police. He dreaded the thought of being separated from his mother or taken to an orphanage as reported by The Mirror.
As the apartment door was locked from the outside, neighbors could only provide food by lowering it down to him from the balcony above. They managed to supply drinks and food to Mikhail, who had been without sustenance for days.
Despite hearing Mikhail’s cries, the neighbors hesitated to contact emergency services. However, realizing that Natalya had not returned by the following day, they decided it was necessary to seek help rather than leave the child isolated.
After enduring five days of solitude, emergency services finally rescued Mikhail and transported him to the hospital for examination by medical professionals.
“I can’t fathom how this child survived there for five days,” remarked a neighbor named Dmitry, who witnessed the moment when authorities forcibly opened the door and revealed the deplorable state of the apartment.
“There are countless cockroaches, flies everywhere, and a horrendous stench,” the neighbor added.
The neighbor further disclosed to Daily Mail that the apartment lacked electricity and water, remaining in a state of disarray.
Even after the boy’s rescue, Natalya did not return home promptly. It took a total of eight days for her to come back after leaving her son unaccompanied. Authorities apprehended her when she was sighted with her dog, Dzaina.
Despite being left in the apartment with no sustenance or access to water, Mikhail continued to defend his mother, having lost his father two years earlier.
During questioning by the police, Natalya asserted that she had left rice for the boy to consume for two days before abandoning him. She stated that she was with friends but could not provide a satisfactory explanation for her prolonged absence.
Now facing potential incarceration and the likelihood of losing custody of Mikhail, the mother remains hopeful of regaining custody of her son.
“I need my son, I want to make amends,” she expressed.
