A Florida mom was arrested after police said she left her 7-year-old child alone in the car for hours while she was inside a bar drinking, according to NBC’s Orlando affiliate WESH.
Officers responded to The Perfect Spot bar in DeLand around 3 a.m. ET Sunday on a report of a child having walked up to the bar looking for her mom.
An investigation revealed the child had been left in an unlocked vehicle, which was turned off and parked in a dark parking lot with no lights, police said.
The officers began an hourslong search for the child’s mother, Veronica Elliot.
Elliot later walked up to the officers and asked them what time it was. She was slurring her speech, covered in dirt, missing her shoes and swaying, WESH reported. It was not clear what time Elliot arrived at the bar.
Elliot said she was surprised by the time and had intended on being away from her child for only 10 minutes.
She was arrested and charged with child neglect without great bodily harm.
The Department of Children and Families took custody of the child.
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