Police – NBC 6 South Florida

Police on Wednesday executed a search warrant at a house in southwest Miami-Dade that was operating as an unlicensed assisted living facility where as many as 30 people may have been residing, officials said.

Miami-Dade Police’s Medical Crimes Unit, working with multiple federal and local agencies, served the warrant at the house off Southwest 122nd Avenue and 207th Street.

Around 15 people were inside but a resident told investigators the capacity was around 30, Miami-Dade Police spokesman Alvaro Zabaleta said.

Zabaleta said the facility was being run without a license and the employees weren’t medically trained and didn’t have proper certifications.

“It’s not certified by the state, it doesn’t have a license to be an adult living facility, it’s not meeting the proper protocols and procedures and guidelines that are brought forth by the State of Florida and of course Miami-Dade County ordinances,” Zabaleta said.

Zabaleta said authorities had received information about the house and that fire rescue crews have previously responded to the home multiple times for illnesses and other issues.

At least 15 patients have been taken from the home for involuntary psychiatric evaluations since January, Zabaleta said.

“You can understand how this globally can become a formula for disaster,” Zabaleta said. “You can see that it’s just a simple residence but what’s going on inside can be disastrous.”

Zabaleta said authorities know who the owner is and will be interviewing them, and said charges could be pending.

The Department of Children and Families and the Department of Health were assisting authorities at the home, Zabaleta said.