The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
On Halloween night, 35-year-old Charles Shawntay Jones reportedly brought his 5-year-old daughter to a Merritt Island, Florida, haunted house attraction.
Instead of accompanying the child, Jones allegedly departed from the location leaving the young girl to fend for herself inside the spooky residence.
The girl, who allegedly remained at the haunted house for more than two-and-a-half hours, reportedly became rather afraid and caught the attention of an adult that was present.
The person who first found the child provided care for her while others tried to find out who had brought the girl to the event.
When no one came forward and claimed responsibility for the child, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office was notified about the situation.
Sheriff’s deputies went to the home and searched the premises in an attempt to locate the girl’s father.
The deputies were unsuccessful in their effort to find Jones, but the man reportedly contacted them by phone and said that he would meet with them at the East Precinct.
Just after 11:30 pm, when he arrived as planned, Jones was taken into custody for suspicion of child neglect without great bodily harm. According to the police report, it was noted by the authorities that Jones “never attempted to go back” after he dropped the child off at the haunted house.
Jones was incarcerated in lieu of a $3000 bond, and he was released from custody on November 1.
If you or someone you love is suspected of child neglect, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.