Parents arrested after toddler found wandering Florida road, deputies say
By Christian Bussiere, Avery Everett
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OSCEOLA COUNTY, Florida (WESH) — The parents of a 2-year-old child were arrested after the toddler was found wandering alone on a road late Saturday, according to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responded to the area of Jones Road and Talisi Loop at about 11:39 p.m. Sept. 26 after a driver spotted the toddler walking in the middle of Jones Road. The child, who was wearing a diaper and tank top, was taken to safety by the driver before she called 911, deputies say.
The toddler was unharmed but appeared frightened and was crying, the sheriff’s office said.
Deputies canvassed the neighborhood and found the front door open at a home on Talisi Loop. No one was inside. Investigators identified the residence as the child’s home and attempted to contact the people listed as living there, deputies say.
A deputy reached the child’s father, 36-year-old Johnny JeanBaptiste, by phone, but he hung up, authorities said.
JeanBaptiste and the child’s mother, 32-year-old Stacia McMillian, returned to the home shortly after 12:30 a.m. in a Toyota Corolla. The sheriff’s office said they were uncooperative with deputies.
Both parents were arrested and booked into the Osceola County Jail on one count each of child neglect without great bodily harm.
The Florida Department of Children and Families was notified, and the toddler was released to a family member.
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