A 37-year-old mother from Detroit is facing charges of child neglect after she abandoned her 1-year-old son on a beach in Florida.
The incident occurred on Wednesday (Nov. 8) morning at the St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Daytona Beach.
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Officials say someone woke them up, saying that their mother took their 1-year-old brother and walked eastbound through a vacant lot.
A witness said that when the mother arrived back at her vehicle, she did not have the baby.
Officials said a 17-year-old could be heard telling the operator that they were from Detroit and their mother was having “Little episodes lately” and that their mother needed help.
According to ClickOrlando.com, the 17-year-old told police that his mother stated that she met the baby’s father at a nearby convenience store and gave the child to him, but the son said their father lives in Detroit.
After searching and calling out the baby’s name and not being able to locate him, officers said the teen returned to the family’s location and asked security to contact the police.
Security said they made contact with the Daytona Police Department as they were concerned about the mother as she was sitting in their parking lot.
Security told officials that they saw the mother walking across the street but were unaware of what was occurring.
The mother was contacted by police about the whereabouts of the baby boy, and according to police, the mother said the 1-year-old was safe with his father.
Police said they got in contact with the father over the phone, who told them that he was in Detroit and was unsure of the baby’s location.
While the search continued, a deputy patrolling the area around 12:45 a.m. began searching for the baby until he saw four people caring for the baby while trying to keep him warm.
Officials say the 1-year-old boy was unresponsive and cold, causing the deputy to move the child’s arms and legs to keep him warm before turning him over to EMS.
Witnesses said they removed the baby’s soiled diaper in an attempt to keep him warm.
Police say the mother was later arrested and is facing charges of child neglect. She was held without bond.
