A Florida woman is in legal trouble after allegedly leaving her youngsters alone in her vehicle while entering a mall, and the car reportedly caught fire while she allegedly went inside to shoplift.
On May 26, a woman reportedly went to the Oviedo Mall with her two children and parked her car in front of a department store. When she got out of the vehicle to head inside, she allegedly left the youngsters by themselves. A man reportedly accompanied her into the mall.
According to reports, the pair went to Dillard’s, and employees became suspicious that they might be shoplifting during the hour they were in the store.
As the woman walked towards the exit door, she saw that her car was ablaze. She dropped the reportedly stolen merchandise inside the store and ran to her vehicle.
Shoppers in the parking lot reported that they heard an explosion, and when they noticed the kids in the flaming vehicle, they got them out safely.
The 24-year-old mother was taken into custody and booked into the Seminole County Jail. She is facing preliminary charges on suspicion of aggravated child neglect, arson, petty theft, and battery charges. According to jail records, she is incarcerated in lieu of a $48,000 bond.
The kids were taken to the hospital, and the little girl who was inside the vehicle obtained first-degree burns on her face and ears due to the fire exposure.
It is reported that the woman, who also has active arrest warrants for petty theft, and battery of a person 65 or older in a different case, has entered a plea of not guilty to each of the charges.
It was determined that the car was totaled from being engulfed in flames in the incident.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a criminal offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.