A Florida mother is facing accusations of child neglect after leaving her 7-year-old daughter alone in a parking lot for several hours outside a bar. The incident took place on Sunday, October 29th, at The Perfect Spot near the DeLand Municipal Airport, which is located about 40 miles northeast of Orlando.
According to officials from the DeLand Police Department, officers responded to The Perfect Spot bar at 2:58 a.m. after the young girl approached the bar in search of her mother. During their investigation, it was discovered that the child had been left alone in an unlocked car, which was turned off, in a poorly lit parking lot. While one officer stayed with the girl, others initiated a search for the mother, but were unsuccessful.
Authorities enlisted the help of a police K9 to track down the 35-year-old woman. Around 6:30 a.m. on Sunday, she returned to the vehicle on foot, appearing disheveled and disoriented. Police noted that she was covered in dirt, swaying with her movements, and was missing her shoes. Additionally, her speech was slurred, and her body movements indicated she was under the influence of a substance.
It has not been disclosed how long the child was left unattended in the parking lot. The Perfect Spot typically closes at 10 p.m. on Saturdays, according to Menuguide.com. When informed of the time, the woman expressed surprise and claimed that she had only intended to be away for 10 minutes.
The mother has been charged with child neglect without causing great bodily harm, while the girl has been placed in the custody of the Florida Department of Children and Families.
This incident adds to a series of disturbing cases of child abuse in Florida, including one where a mother engaged in drug-fueled sex with two men while her son was in the room, resulting in the death of one man. Another case involved a couple who subjected their children to brutal torture, with one child being kept in a cage. Additionally, a mother was recently accused of strangling her 13-year-old son to death in bed, according to the Florida sheriff.
