Elena Sexton booking photo (Credit: Miami-Dade County Corrections & Rehabilitation)
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SUNNY ISLES BEACH, Fla. – A 41-year-old Texas woman was arrested on a child neglect charge after police said her 6-year-old son was found alone at a Sunny Isles Beach park in Florida, where the boy told a witness he was scared and had not eaten since breakfast.
Texas mom arrested for leaving 6-year-old at Florida park
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According to a complaint and arrest affidavit, Elena Sexton was taken into custody on Saturday, Aug. 15.
Police were called to the park at approximately 8:49 p.m. local time after a witness reported finding a young boy there without a parent or caretaker.
According to the affidavit, the witness told officers the child approached him and said he was alone because his mother had left him. The boy allegedly said he was scared and had not eaten since breakfast. The witness told police he had observed the child alone for nearly an hour.
When officers spoke with the 6-year-old, he told them his mother had left to be with a friend and get food, according to the affidavit. The child also said he was scared and did not want to leave with a stranger.
Officers canvassed the park but were unable to locate Sexton or another caretaker, the affidavit states.
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Police said Sexton was later seen walking back toward the area and was stopped and taken into custody.
Mother told officers she left to get toys, eat with a friend
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Sexton told officers she had parked at a nearby shopping plaza and walked back to get toys, according to the affidavit. She said that when she arrived, she encountered a friend who invited her to sit down and eat.
Sexton told investigators she accepted the invitation while leaving her son at the park, according to police.
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Authorities accused Sexton of willfully failing to provide the child with the care and supervision necessary for his well-being. She was arrested on a third-degree felony child neglect charge involving no great bodily harm and transported to the Turner Guilford Knight Facility without incident, according to the affidavit.
The Florida Department of Children and Families was also contacted following the incident.
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