Dad throws 10-year-old out of car, tells her to walk to grandparents’, Florida cops say
A dad is accused of abandoning his daughter on the side of a major road in central Florida and telling her to walk to her grandparents’ house.
The 30-year-old man is charged with child neglect without great bodily harm, according to Osceola County court records. His attorney information was not available July 31.
McClatchy News is not identifying him to avoid identifying his daughter.
Shortly after midnight July 31, deputies received a call about a 10-year-old girl who they said had been left on the side of U.S. Route 192 and Scott Boulevard in Kissimmee, Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez told WOFL.
“It’s a very heavily traveled roadway, very touristy, very dangerous,” Lopez said to the news outlet about the Kissimmee road. “We get a lot of pedestrians hit by vehicles in that area.”
The intersection isn’t far from the major Orlando-area theme parks and resorts.
He said witnesses reported seeing a driver “throw” the girl out of the car.
Deputies later learned the girl lived at her grandparents’ home and was spending time with her dad when the grandparents threatened to call the police if he didn’t bring her home quickly, Lopez said.
He dumped his daughter on the side of the road and told her to walk to her grandparents’ house, about a 20-minute walk away, then drove off, the sheriff said.
Deputies found the father not long after and pulled him over, according to Lopez. He was arrested and booked in jail.
“Something bad could’ve happened to the little girl,” Lopez told WESH. “Anybody could’ve kidnapped her. She could’ve become a victim to human trafficking.”
The sheriff said the girl was “distraught” and confused at the time but is fine. He commended the bystanders who called 911 and watched over the girl until law enforcement arrived.
This story was originally published July 31, 2024 at 10:04 AM with the headline "Dad throws 10-year-old out of car, tells her to walk to grandparents’, Florida cops say."