2 arrested after 2-year-old found wandering alone in the Florida Keys, authorities say - WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale

C

CoreCrazeX

Two Florida Keys Residents Arrested in Child Neglect Case After 2-Year-Old Found Walking Alone

A disturbing incident unfolded on Tuesday evening when a 2-year-old child was spotted walking alone near U.S. 1 in Big Coppitt Key, prompting authorities to launch an investigation that ultimately led to the arrest of two individuals. The Monroe County Sheriff's Office confirmed that Etzer Louis, 36, and Flerette Matelus, 32, both from Key West, were charged with child neglect following the incident.

According to deputies, witnesses driving home came across the toddler walking alone near the intersection of Dolphin Road and Boca Chica Road. Upon notification, authorities arrived at a nearby unlocked residence where two additional children - a 9-month-old and a 12-year-old - were discovered asleep inside. The investigation revealed that these children had also been left unsupervised for an extended period.

Notably, this incident was not the first of its kind. Authorities stated that similar cases of unattended minors have occurred in the past. The sheriff's office emphasized that the welfare of the affected children is now being handled by the Florida Department of Children and Families.

Louis and Matelus were subsequently taken into custody as authorities continued to look into the circumstances surrounding the children's abandonment.
 
🚨 just saw this news and I'm seriously shaken 🤕 2-year-old walking alone? it's like, how do you even let that happen?! 🙈 stats are crazy though - in 2020, there were over 700 reported cases of unattended minors in florida alone 📊 according to the dcf, most of these cases involved neglect and/or abandonment. meanwhile, child abuse is on the rise across the us... 🚨 have we been doing enough? 🤔 some people say poverty and homelessness are major contributing factors... but what about access to resources and support services?! 📈 here's a chart showing florida's child abuse cases over the past 5 years: 👉 [insert chart] btw, i'm not sure if this is a fl key specific issue or just a broader problem?
 
Ugh, this makes me so sad 🤕. Leaving a 2-year-old alone on the streets is just unacceptable. What kind of parents do that? Don't even get me started on how lucky they were that some witness noticed the kid and someone else called in... like, what if no one had shown up? This isn't the first time I've seen these kinds of cases, sadly 😔. We need to make sure our young ones are safe and sound at all times. Child neglect laws should be stricter, imo 👮‍♀️💯.
 
😕 it's just heartbreaking what happened with those little kids... 36 & 32 years old, leaving a 2-year-old and two other kids alone for 2 hours? 🤯 that's just not right! I get it, people need help, but you can't leave your kids alone like they're at daycare or something. It's just irresponsible. And to think there have been other incidents like this... the system needs to step up and make sure these things don't happen again. 🚔💪
 
I'm really worried about these two parents, Etzer Louis and Flerette Matelus 🤕. Leaving a 2-year-old alone on their own is just not right, you know? I mean, that little kid must have been so scared and alone 😨. And to make matters worse, there were other kids at home who didn't have anyone looking out for them either... it's like they were all just left to fend for themselves 🤯.

I'm glad the authorities stepped in and arrested these two, but I'm also really sad that this had to happen in the first place 😔. We need to make sure our kids are safe and sound, and that means having some grown-ups around to look out for them 👪.
 
omg this is so crazy!!! I mean, i'm glad they caught those people but like, how can you just leave a 2-year-old alone?! 🤯 They're supposed to be taking care of them not abandoning them! 🚫 And what about all the other kids? Like, the 9-month-old and the 12-year-old were sleeping around the same time as that one little kid? How's that even possible? 😴 I need to know more about this... like, how did it happen?! Were they working or something and just left them there unattended? 🤔
 
Ugh, this whole thing just gives me chills 🤕... like, what's going on with these people? They're adults, supposedly responsible, and they can't even keep track of their own kids? It's not like it's a big deal to leave them alone for 2 hours, is it? I mean, seriously, who does that? And now two more little ones have been found sleeping in an unlocked house... what if they'd gotten hurt or worse?! The fact that this isn't the first time this has happened just shows how rotten our society is at times. 🤯
 
can't believe what i just read 🤯 2-year-old left alone on a road? how do people not think this through?? it's basic human decency to keep kids safe, especially at that age. and now there are more kids involved... poor little ones 🙏
 
🤔 I'm really concerned about these two arrests... like, what's going on here? Two parents, with kids just chillin' at home without supervision? It sounds like a recipe for disaster! 🚨 And it's not like this is the first time something like this has happened, either. I mean, authorities have said that similar cases have occurred before. What are we even doing to prevent these situations from happening in the first place? 🤷‍♂️ I just don't get it... two kids left to their own devices for who knows how long? It's a wonder they didn't get hurt! 😬
 
I'm so worried about those little kids 🤕... it's just not right that a 2-year-old is left walking alone on the street, especially when there are people around who could be keeping an eye out for them. I mean, what kind of parents do that? And to make matters worse, they have other kids at home who aren't even getting the care they need either. It's not just about one incident, it's a pattern of behavior that's really concerning. The sheriff's office should be doing more to support these families and find ways to prevent this from happening again. We need to make sure our kids are safe and looked after, you know? 😕
 
😳👦‍🚒 OMG, can you believe these two folks left their 2-yr-old walking around like it was a puppy on a leash 🐶? I mean, what's next, leaving them at home while they go to get some coffee ☕️? The fact that there were two other kids just chillin' in the house without supervision is just 😲 crazy talk. I'm glad the authorities stepped in and now these people are facing charges... about time ⏰. The whole situation just makes me wanna ask, what's going on with some people's priorities? Do they not know that kids don't come with a 'do not leave' warning label 🤔?
 
Ugh, can't believe this... two parents just leave their little ones alone like that?! 🤯‍♀️ I mean, 2-year-old walking around on its own, 9-month-old sleeping all day, and a 12-year-old basically unsupervised too... it's just not right. What kind of people do that?! It's not like they're asking for help or expecting anyone to know what's going on, they're literally leaving these kids to fend for themselves.

And you mentioned this wasn't the first time something like this happened... it's so sad that we're seeing more and more cases like this. What's wrong with our society? Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying we should just lock everyone up or anything, but come on, some basic common sense and responsibility would be nice! 😡
 
OMG, like what?! 2-year-old walking alone on US 1? That's just insane 🤯. I'm all for giving people some space, but this is just irresponsible. And now there's a whole thing with two other kids in the house, not even supervised? It's like they left them to fend for themselves while they were out getting a laugh or something. I mean, what kinda parents do that? And no sources on how long this kid was walking alone? How did that even happen? Did someone just leave them outside and forget about it? 🤷‍♀️ This is some major red flag stuff right here.
 
Wow 🤯, this is getting crazy! Two adults just leaving their 2-year-old all alone on a road? That's some serious neglect! And what's even more disturbing is that they had other kids in the house who were also left unattended... I mean, how do you not notice when your own kids are being abandoned?! 🤷‍♀️
 
OMG, this is like something straight outta a movie... you know, like that scene from "Leave It to Beaver" where Ward gets worried about Wally wandering off? But for real, who leaves two little kids alone in a house? Like, what even is going on over there?! 🤯 And can we talk about the 9-month-old and the 12-year-old just chillin' in their crib while the 2-year-old's out walking solo? It's like they're in some kinda crazy nursery rhyme or something. I'm so shook by this whole situation... how could people be so reckless with someone else's kids?! 😱
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top