Sunny Isles Beach, FL — A 41-year-old Texas woman was arrested on a felony child neglect charge after police said her 6-year-old son was found alone at a park in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida.
According to an arrest affidavit, officers responded to the park around 8:49 p.m. Saturday, August 15, after a witness reported finding the child without a parent or caretaker.
The witness told police the boy approached him and said his mother had left him. According to the affidavit, the child said he was scared and had not eaten since breakfast. The witness reported seeing him alone for nearly an hour.
Police said the boy told officers his mother had left to be with a friend and get food. Officers searched the park but were initially unable to locate his mother or another caretaker.
The mother, identified as Elena Sexton, was later seen returning to the area and was taken into custody.
According to the affidavit, Sexton told investigators she had gone to retrieve toys and encountered a friend who invited her to eat. Police said she acknowledged accepting the invitation while leaving her son at the park.
Sexton was arrested on a third-degree felony charge of child neglect involving no great bodily harm and transported to the Turner Guilford Knight Facility.
The Florida Department of Children and Families was also contacted.
The charge is an accusation, and Sexton is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.