Florida Parents Took 14 Hours To Realize They'd Forgotten Their 2-Year-Old Daughter In A Park Overnight

Apr 10, 2019 by apost team

Makenson and Jolanda Alexandre reported their two-year-old daughter missing to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office at 11:40 a.m. on Saturday, March 23, 2019.

At that time, the toddler had been missing for a total of 14 hours. It was discovered that the child had been left at the Haverhill Park in West Palm Beach at 7 p.m. the evening prior.

According to the Mirror, the toddler was found roaming around the park in a gold tutu all by herself by the police hours after her parents had already left.

Makenson, 34 years old, and Jolanda, 27 years old, had apparently left the park and returned home without realizing they had left their daughter behind.

In order to locate the child’s family, authorities circulated a photograph of her throughout the community and on social media. She was kept in a safe location overnight.

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The following day, her parents explained to the police that they hadn’t realized that they left the park without their daughter, nor did they realize that she was not at home with them.

Her mother was sobbing and shaking when she said that she could not believe her mistake.

Both Makenson and Jolanda were arrested and charged with one count of neglect each but were released shortly after on $3,000 bail.

The couple’s seven other children were removed from the home by the Department of Children and Families and are being safely accommodated.

In November of 2018, another shocking case took place: a four-year-old was left unattended in a van located in an impound lot overnight in freezing weather for approximately eight hours.

The Milwaukee Police arrested the driver of the van at around 12 a.m. for suspicion of driving under the influence.

They removed the infant from the vehicle; however, they failed to notice the toddler in the back seat, and the mother did not inform them about her. She was finally found the next morning, distraught and sobbing.

Unfortunately, cases like these happen much more frequently than any of us would like to think about or could even imagine.

Child neglect, sadly, is quite common but not always discovered, and sometimes ends with dire consequences.

Please contact the proper authorities if you ever have any suspicions of child abuse or neglect.

What do you think of this incident? Do you think it was an act of gross neglect or an innocent accident any tired parent would be capable of? Let us know in the comments - and make sure you pass this along to your friends and family.