Police: Parents Allegedly Left 2-Year-Old Daughter in Park and Realized It 14 Hours Later

A Florida couple was arrested for child neglect after leaving their 2-year-old daughter in a park at the end of a family outing. The parents realized the child was missing 14 hours later. The Department of Children and Families removed the couple’s seven other children from home.

Jolanda Alexandre, 27, and Makenson Alexandre, 34, were arrested on Saturday and booked on child neglect charges after failing to report their missing child for 14 hours.

On Friday, onlookers located a little girl wandering alone at Haverhill Park. Police were called to the scene, and they tried to find the girl’s parents or guardians by making loudspeaker announcements, reverse 911 calls, and even used search and rescue dogs, but to no avail.

A picture of the girl was posted on social media, as deputies hoped to locate the girl’s family with the help of the community.

However, it was on Saturday morning that Jolanda called 911 to report a missing child that matched the girl’s description.

Officers from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office visited the Alexandre’s home, where Jolanda explained that the day before, she had picked up Makenson and then, they took their eight kids for a ride to the park to let them play for about an hour.

The parents then allegedly told the kids to get in the car before leaving the park, but they didn’t stop to check if everyone was aboard the vehicle.

However, Jolanda told deputies she thought she saw the girls playing with her siblings outside their home around 8:00 om on Friday.

Both parents went to bed and admitted that, although they usually check on the kids before going to bed, they didn’t do it on Friday.

On Saturday, the couple realized the 2-year-old was missing around 9:00 am. After searching for a while, Jolanda finally called 911. She was shaking and crying and said she couldn’t believe she left her daughter at the park, according to the police report.

PBSO Public Information Officer Teri Barbera said that they were “dumbfounded” and “upset” at the parents. But she admitted that the girl seemed to be well-cared for in general, as she was dressed nicely and in good condition.

The Alexandres were arrested and charged with child neglect, and officers from the Department of Children and Families removed the remaining seven children from their home, deputies said.

The couple was released a few hours later on $3,000 bail.

People on social media were quick to condemn the parents for their actions, calling them out for neglecting their child. Read some of the comments below:

Sadly, Jolanda and Makenson Alexandre are just another one of the couples that get arrested for neglecting their kid.

On an even more awry case, Corona Police have been investigating the case surrounding Noah McIntosh, an 8-year-old kid last seen three weeks ago.

The Police moved to arrest the parents of the child, Jillian Godfrey, and Bryce McIntosh on suspicions of child abuse a few days ago. They have since been charged with willful harm to a child and are due to be arraigned on the 8th of April after an initial postponement.

Doug Godfrey, the boy's grandfather, says his family doesn't believe the boy is alive. they think his father killed him. "He didn't deserve to die this way, and yes we think he is dead. We have never held out hope he was alive anywhere," the man said.