A trip to the gym turned into a felony arrest for a Florida woman this past Saturday after she allegedly left her toddler alone in a running vehicle while she worked out. Iranique Nyesha Martin, 38, is now facing a charge of child neglect without great bodily harm following the incident outside a Crunch Fitness in Sweetwater.
The situation came to light when a bystander flagged down a police officer patrolling the area. According to the arrest affidavit, the witness reported seeing a young girl, roughly 3 years old, sitting by herself in the backseat of a car.
The man told investigators he had actually seen the same child alone in the vehicle the previous day, and seeing her a second time convinced him he needed to speak up.
When officers located the car, they found the engine running with the child inside. Shortly after, Martin walked out of the fitness center and identified the girl as her daughter. When questioned by police, Martin reportedly claimed she had only been inside for a moment to use the restroom.
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However, investigators say surveillance footage from the gym told a different story. The video allegedly showed Martin inside the facility for approximately one hour, during which time she completed a workout and took a shower.
Upon checking the vehicle, officers noted that while the girl appeared to be unharmed, she was not buckled in and the car lacked a child safety seat. The police affidavit stated that the child’s age and inability to care for herself “exposed the child to an unreasonable risk of harm.”
Martin was transported to the Miami-Dade jail and her bond was set at $20,000. Records indicate the young girl was released into the custody of her father.
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