Gainesville -  A man is accused of neglecting his six year old son after the child did not attend school for several days.

Police say the six year old had a wound on his body that was filled with gnats and had to be hospitalized. 

Gainesville resident Mary Cason was shocked to learn that 32 year old Roland Pelletier is accused of neglecting his six year old son.

"As a mom they weren't taken care of the child," Mason said.

A child who police say missed two weeks of school.

"The child didn't go to school for two weeks, that's wrong," Mason said.

According to police they went to Picadilly Apartments where Pelletier and his son lives,  police knocked on the door and the six year old ran out the door immediately closed.

"The officer immediately noticed he was wearing dirty sweat pants, he did not have on any shoes, he did not have a shirt, and there's was a large gaping wound on the child's torso that was infested in with gnats," said Gainesville Police Corporal Angelina Valur.

Police kept on knocking on the door but no one answered until 20 minutes later.

"That's when we informed him of the investigation going on," Valuri said.

Police say Pelletier attemped to run away but was later arrested.

He's now charged with child neglect and resisting without violence.

"Anytime a law enforcement officer, encounters a situation where a child is being neglected, especially to the extent this little boy was, its shocking, it saddens us greatly, and this is the type of case that affects us down to the core," Valuri said.

Cason hopes the six year old finds a loving home.

"I hope the man gets some help and I hope the child finds someone that's going to take care of him,"  Valuri said.

Officials learned the child was recovering from a liver transplant and remains at Shands getting treatment.