Florida mother charged with child neglect after leaving 4 kids alone for Vegas trip

Irene Miller, 50, was arrested after her four children, aged 9–14, were left unsupervised for nearly three days in Kissimmee while she travelled to Las Vegas.

Kissimmee mother faces four counts of neglect after children found home alone

A Florida woman was arrested on child neglect charges after leaving her four children unsupervised at home for close to three days while she was in Las Vegas, nbcnews.com reports.

The case came to light on 21 October when a 911 dispatcher received a call from one of the children at the family's Kissimmee residence. The child reported that her nine-year-old brother had been struck on the head by a falling dumbbell.

Deputies from the Osceola County Sheriff's Office arrived to find four children — aged 14, 12, 11 and 9 — with no adult present. Paramedics transported the injured boy to a nearby hospital, where his injury was assessed as apparently minor.

While at the scene, deputies contacted Irene Miller by phone. She told them she was working in Las Vegas and planned to return on 23 October. Investigators subsequently established that Miller had departed for Las Vegas on 18 October, leaving the children alone for nearly three days.

Miller told deputies she had arranged for a babysitter to travel from Tampa each morning to prepare the children for school and to check on them in the afternoon. She acknowledged, however, that she had not required the babysitter to remain overnight. Kissimmee lies roughly 70 miles east of Tampa, near Orlando.

The four children were placed in the care of their father while detectives coordinated with Las Vegas airport authorities. Sheriff's detectives met Miller as she disembarked her return flight on Friday morning.

Miller, 50, was charged with four counts of child neglect without great bodily harm and booked into Orange County Jail. Jail records reviewed on Monday indicated she was no longer in custody. NBC News was unable to reach Miller for comment.

Osceola County Sheriff Chris Blackmon issued a statement following the arrest. "The Osceola County Sheriff's Office will not tolerate child neglect," Blackmon said. "These cases will be investigated, and charges will be brought against the parents who are not properly supervising or caring for their children."

Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)