A Texas woman visiting South Florida was arrested Saturday night after police said she left her 6-year-old son unattended at a public park to go get food with a friend.
Elena Sexton, 41, faces a child neglect charge following an incident at Town Center Park in Sunny Isles Beach. Officers from the Sunny Isles Beach Police Department were dispatched to the park around 9 p.m. after a bystander called 911 to report an unsupervised child.
According to an arrest affidavit, the 911 caller told responding officers that the young boy walked up to him “and said he was alone” and “scared” because his mother had “left him.” The witness estimated that the child had been by himself for at least an hour. The affidavit noted that the boy also told the bystander he “had not eaten since breakfast time.”
When questioned by officers about his mother’s whereabouts, the boy stated that she “left him to be with a friend to get food.” He added that he was “scared” and did not want to leave the park “with a stranger.”
Police searched the park and nearby areas but could not locate Sexton. Officers remained at the scene until she eventually returned to the area where the child had been left.
After being taken into custody and having her Miranda rights read to her, Sexton told investigators that she had taken her son to the park and then walked back to her vehicle to “get some toys.” While at her car, she said she “saw a friend” who invited her to eat, and she decided to go along, leaving her son behind at the park.
Authorities did not specify the exact amount of time the child was left unattended. Police notified the Florida Department of Children and Families regarding the incident.
Sexton was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center and was released after posting a $2,500 bond.
READ: Florida Appeals Court Rules Hillsborough County Unlawfully Seized Tenant’s $3,600
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
