A Texas foster father is facing child neglect charges after police discovered his 12-year-old foster son running into Miami Beach traffic in only his underpants, while another child remained alone in a hotel room. According to authorities, the children had traveled with the dad from Austin on vacation.
Officers arrived around 12:15 p.m. Thursday near Pine Tree Drive and 33rd Street after receiving complaints of a youngster dashing in and out of traffic, according to WSVN 7News. The boy went into a nearby home and could only provide a phone number for his foster father, 55-year-old Francisco Javier Lara.
After many attempts to get Lara to answer the door, detectives tracked down his cellphone and discovered him in a guest room at the Catalina Hotel on Collins Avenue. Police detected a significant alcohol stench on Lara, who believed it was 7 a.m. despite the fact it was closer to 2 p.m. A second foster child, a 10-year-old boy, was discovered alone in the room with Lara, authorities added. Investigators also stated that both youngsters were underage and had been diagnosed with mental illnesses, highlighting the importance of constant supervision.
According to hotel surveillance video, Lara left and returned many times during the morning, with little recollection of his actions. According to the arrest report, police decided that Lara did not adequately supervise the children by leaving them unsupervised.
Victim advocates gave the youngsters with food, clothing, and support when they were brought to the Miami Beach Police Department. The Florida Department of Children and Families was notified, and both children were eventually placed in its care.
Lara was arrested and jailed on two counts of child negligence without serious bodily harm. In bond court on Friday, a judge established probable cause and set him bond at $2,000, or $1,000 per count.
According to Florida law, child neglect is defined as a caregiver’s purposeful failure to provide necessary care or supervision, and neglect without significant bodily injury is a third-degree felony. The allegations in the arrest report are not convictions, and the case will go through the legal system.
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