Child neglect laws protect children from harm by holding adults accountable for leaving children in dangerous situations; in this case, a 23-year-old mother was charged with felony neglect without great bodily harm after leaving her 5-year-old granddaughter alone in a motel parking lot with a maintenance worker, though the charges were later dropped after a court hearing.
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Grandma Horrified After Learning Who Mom Left Child Alone With At MotelAdded:
She said, "Amber left Lonnie in the parking lot with the maintenance man." I said, "What?
>> She's evil. She's playing police games.
She's telling me to meet her here, meet her there, and she's nowhere to be found.
>> I just got a good job. I'm going to lose you. I have no Please."
I just want to >> on December 2nd, 2023 in Sarasota, Florida, officers with the Sarasota Police Department responded after a woman called 911 regarding concerns about her 5-year-old granddaughter being left at a motel with a maintenance worker by the child's mother. During the investigation, authorities gathered information about the incident and contacted the Department of Children and Families for follow-up. The child's grandmother reportedly told officers she was willing to take custody of the child if necessary.
>> All right. So, what's going on?
>> Amber texting me now. She pulled up to the hotel with my granddaughter. I have her in the car.
>> And Amber's your daughter?
>> No, Amber's not my daughter. My daughters won't do anything like that.
That's my son's m the son my son's ex-girlfriend but that's the mother of his child.
>> Okay.
>> She pulled up to the hotel. She left her with this young lady named Shottia.
Shottio uh immediately called me and told me that Amber left Lonnie at the hotel in the parking lot by herself with the maintenance man. I'm like what? I'm calling Shottia cuz I wasn't there.
>> Well, hang on. I can only talk to one person at that time.
>> Okay.
So, she called me at 12:25. I go get about 3:42. Didn't hear anything from Amber, no nothing. Next thing I know, the Meny County Sheriff Department is calling me saying that asked me what's going on.
And I told him what's what happened. He said he got to call somebody to see what to do. Okay, that's out of your jurisdiction. Didn't happen in your jurisdiction. That's Manatee County.
That's a big difference. So he was saying, "You can get in trouble for keeping her." I said, "No, I can't. I can't get in trouble for keeping her because she left her. She abandoned her.
You worried about me having her, but if I wouldn't have had and this man, this maintenance man was some fruit ball and he would have took her in the room, then what?
>> Okay, so let me start with this. What's your last name?
>> Hey, >> spell your name for grandma.
>> And her last name.
>> You can put your foot up there. I was just going to do the same thing.
>> All right. All right. So she's your she's your granddaughter.
>> Yes, sir.
>> And >> who is this? Who's her mother?
>> Her mother name is Amber. What's your mommy last name? Phah.
>> No. Amber. Amber. Amber. Amber.
>> Amber. Amber.
>> So, so start all over cuz the story's kind of confusing.
>> Yes, sir. Okay. I was at home. The address I gave you.
>> I got a call >> around what time?
>> 12:25 exactly.
>> Okay.
Shottia, which is my son's ex-girlfriend. She's pregnant from him, too. He got babies everywhere. Anyway, she called me and she said, "Mom," I said, "What?" She said, "Amber left Lonnie in the parking lot with the maintenance man." I said, "What?"
>> So, 12:25, you get a call from Shadia.
>> Yes.
>> And she says that Lonnie got left with a maintenance man.
>> Yes. With with the maintenance man at the hotel, cuz that's where she stays at.
>> So, Shottia stays at Siesta.
>> Yes. In room 38.
Amber didn't know which room she stayed in. She just left her.
>> So Amber was supposed to drop Lonnie off which >> No, she didn't ask nobody. She just dropped her off >> with a a maintenance man.
>> That's the god honest truth.
>> How did uh shot I mean I guess I guess I should speak to Shottia.
>> Yeah.
>> Is she at the CS right now?
>> No, she's down here somewhere.
>> Okay, >> I'm going to call her.
You can you text me at 3:34. And she said, "You coming? You coming, mom?"
>> Mhm.
>> All right.
>> And I told her not to tell my son what happened cuz he'll snap out. He'll beat her up.
>> All right. So, >> but I did tell my son.
>> So, 12:25, Shottia calls you, >> says, "Hey, Lonnie, like we found Lonnie at the hotel with the maintenance guy."
>> Yes.
>> And then you went to pick up Lonnie.
Yes.
>> And you picked her up from the CS.
>> Yes, ma'am. Yes, sir.
>> Was she with Shadia? Okay. Does Shadia ever watch Lonnie?
>> No.
>> For Okay.
>> No. So there's you can't think of any reason why Amber should have just dropped her off.
>> She shouldn't have did that cuz my son doesn't date Shotti anymore. He doesn't even live here in Sarasota.
>> Okay. All right. Is he still dating Amber or they they're separated as well?
>> They've been separated years now. About four years now they've been separated.
>> Okay.
All right. Have you spoken to Amber yet today?
>> Yes, that's her. I She told me um I told the police in Bradon that I was going to bring her daughter to the CSN. And I said, "No, I did not." I told him, "I'm not bringing you my my granddaughter. My son told me to keep him keep her until he comes from Naples to get her because you're not getting her back."
>> Okay.
>> And the police told me, he said, "You can get in trouble for keep uh keep her." I said, "No, I can't cuz we're going to go to the police department right now." He said, "You should have called the police when it first happened." I said, "I didn't do that because my son said, "Mama, don't worry about it. I'mma come get her. Just keep her until I get there." But then when I get that call from them, wait a minute.
So you you you want to be nasty and you unfit for leaving your daughter there like that. What if the maintenance man was some some guy that likes kids?
>> Right. Right. So yeah, >> it sounds to me like you're looking out for Lonnie's welfare.
>> That's not a crime. Uh but we're going to try and get this real >> stuff going on all over the place. So we're just trying to get a story of what's going on here.
>> Um I dropped my daughter off. She went in. I pulled off.
>> All right. So, just rewind a little bit.
All right. So, where did you drop the child off?
>> The CSN where her father was staying with his girlfriend.
>> Okay.
>> I went my the aunt took me, his sister, the auntie, my daughter's aunt took me there.
>> Okay.
>> It was me, the auntie, and >> another girl that was in the car, Malia.
They was there. We dropped Lonnie off.
We seen her get in the room. We pulled off.
>> Okay. So, you saw the child walk in the room?
>> Yes. We walked her to we didn't walk her directly exactly to the room. We stood right across the room and she walked in there. The maintenance guy even saw when we was there and he laughed and said, "What are you guys doing?" And she's like, "Oh, she's going over there where her dad's at."
>> Okay. All right. Um, do did you contact anyone like that you were bringing Lonnie? Correct.
>> I've been calling the dad, calling the dad, calling the dad. The sister told me the dad was there.
>> Okay. Do you c you talked to um the father's sister?
>> Yes.
>> Okay.
>> All right. And then >> she called me and told me that the grandma was taking the baby. So when I called grandma and tried to get a hold of grandma so we can meet to get my baby, I have messages stating that she's calling DCF because I abandoned my daughter there, which I never did. The cameras can show that I was there until Lonnie went in the room.
>> Okay.
>> I just want my baby. She says the only way I can get her back is if I call the police. I called the cops, but because of where I was at, it was like the borderline.
>> You contacted Manatee.
>> Yeah. And I spoke to Sheriff um De Phillips.
>> Okay.
>> And he said that >> go to the Siesta in because she said that she was meeting you there to bring Lonnie. I stood there for like 40 45 minutes and then I contacted Sarasota department and they said, "We have somebody coming out to you now."
>> Okay.
>> It was 20 minutes passed by, still nobody came out. So I called again and they said, "Yeah, is this Tanya?" I said, "No, this is Amber, the mother."
And they're like, "Oh, well, Tanya made a report saying that a 5-year-old got abandoned there."
>> And Tanya is >> the Jay's um my daughter's grandma, the dad's mom.
>> Okay. Gotcha. Gotcha.
>> And she keeps I have messages of her saying that she's here, she's there, and I'm pulling up, but she's not there. So, actually, I can get my baby. And then she's saying that the only way I can get her is I contact you guys.
>> Okay.
>> Which I don't see why I have to do that.
>> Yeah. I I'm not sure what the mindset was. Um, what's your >> She tells me that the dad took her to Tampa, that she doesn't have my daughter. I have messages. She's lying, telling me that my daughter's in Tampa with her dad. I can't get through to him. So, I know she's lying, that he's not she's not over there.
>> Okay. What where do you live at currently?
>> It's basically the borderline.
>> What's the address? Do you know?
>> I got to look it up. It's right up Deluxe in is >> Is that Robert's?
>> Yes.
>> Okay. What's your address?
>> I take my daughter to school Monday through Fridays. She has no right to take my baby and not want to get >> Is that like a Is that an apartment complex or something like that? Thank you. You too.
>> It's a hotel.
>> Okay. What room number are you in?
>> 117.
>> All right. And then what's dad's first name?
>> You want me to call him?
>> No, no, no. We got We got his number.
I'm just I haven't physically talked to him myself yet. So, I'm just trying to get all the information I can from you before I start calling people around asking what's going on cuz I got to collect all sides of the story cuz we've got obviously, as you know, there's several different stories flying around here. So, we got to figure out what's going on so we can properly document what's going on. Okay. Okay, that's the only reason.
>> Can you see my baby though? Like >> um currently I'm not sure like I know grandma has shot.
>> She's right there in her car. So >> yeah, >> it's a tow hole.
>> Well, I would rather not right now cuz I don't want to cause a disturbance right here. So we're just trying to let me get what I need to get done and then you can take your child and go. Okay.
>> Yeah, that's all I want to do.
>> Okay.
>> All right, Miss Lawson, I wanted you to see something to see if you could tell me who this is.
>> Okay, I'm going call you back, baby. You need to be all >> Next stop is your hair. Come here.
>> Do you know who that is? Is that Maya?
>> Next stop is your hair. Come here.
Lonnie, you have to come here.
>> Can you blow it up? I didn't try.
>> Be able to.
>> Might be easier to watch. Mommy, you can't watch that.
>> Okay, go back.
>> Go back. You can't watch.
>> Go back.
>> And do you know whose car that is?
>> That's in my daughter's car.
>> We're going to try and get this off in just a few minutes.
>> This Great. Don't feel like >> This is Amber here. Are you >> Amber? Hey. And what's your name?
>> Lilo.
>> Lilo? Yeah.
>> Okay. Were you with them this morning?
>> Uh, no. I was not there when I dropped.
>> Okay. So, you you coming in after the fact? Had nothing to do with what happened this morning.
>> Where's the other party that was with her right now?
>> Is she in that car over there?
>> Yeah.
>> Which car?
>> The car over there with the lights on.
Oh, >> I'll go talk to her.
>> Is it Malia?
>> Okay.
Hey, Monster Officer Robert, Sarasota Police Department. Hi.
>> You are Malia?
>> No, Malia's over there.
>> Okay. Are you familiar with what's going on right now?
>> Yeah, I was in the car, but I'm not Malia. Malia is over there.
>> Okay. What you mean? You were in the car this morning?
>> Yeah.
>> Okay. What happened this morning? So, um, Amber told me, >> Amber told me, which is her over there, told me that my brother knew she was dropping the kid off or whatever.
>> Javarus is your brother.
>> Yeah, my brother. So, at first I was nowhere around her. I had her in my car though. That girl right there.
>> Yeah.
>> She was like, um, she was like, uh, cuz she was calling me all day. She was saying brother. I said, no, I don't know where he's at.
>> So, boom, she calls me a little bit later. Oh, I'm going to drop her off over there. I said, I don't know.
>> Yeah. I don't know if he's over there or not.
>> I said, I'll text my sister for you. I can show you the message. I'll text my sister. I said, is Jay over there? She said, no. So, I told her, he's not at my mom's house. After I said he's not at my mom's house, >> she that's what she did what she did.
>> Okay.
>> All right.
>> I call him.
>> So, basically what she did that is abandonment.
>> I'm I'm working on I'm not I'm going to tell you I'm not pleased. with what I've been told, what I saw on video cameras.
Is this the car you guys dropped her off in?
>> 2500.
>> So, so basically >> that he knew, >> but you couldn't confirm whether or not he was there and she knew that.
>> I didn't know. I didn't know nothing.
>> Okay.
>> Who was the person that would walked down in the parking lot to try and point >> uh to line where to go?
>> Was that you?
>> Mhm.
>> Okay.
>> How are you doing?
>> Good. How are you?
>> I'm all right. I'm officer Robert Sarasota Police Department. Uh I've been talking to everybody trying to get get the story about what happened this morning.
>> Uh what's your last name?
>> Gixon.
>> And your first name?
>> I don't have a current address.
>> Okay. So, what happened this morning?
>> Dropping Lonnie off.
>> It wasn't really Was it the morning? It was more so like right there hitting >> 12:30. Um, nothing. Amber is my friend.
We've been friends for years. Um, and I watch her be a single mom day in day out. Y >> no help whatsoever from the baby's father. Um, >> which you got to just deal with on your own. There's not much you can do unless you want to go through it um court-wise, financially, food um you know, child support and stuff like that. But >> today, she wanted a break >> and she knows she knew where he was so called at. Yeah.
>> So, they went there. Well, we all drove there. Feels like ants are on my feet.
I'm sorry.
>> Um, we all drove there and um she didn't want to get out of the car because if he see her, >> he was going to make her get her baby back.
>> Okay.
>> So, me being the friend, if he was to have told me, "Hey, Malia, get you need to get her back." I would have told him that that's not my child, >> you know, like he's the father.
>> Get out the car and >> Okay. So, I got out of the car and I walked her to the middle of that um parking lot in there.
>> Yeah.
>> The Siesta in or whatever it is. And I didn't want them to see me, but I was still >> um communicating with Lonnie.
>> Okay.
>> And I was like, "Lonnie, 38."
>> Yeah.
>> 38.
>> Okay.
>> And the maintenance man heard me and so he was he was like trying to help me tell her where to go and he was like 38.
I was like, "Yeah." And he was like, "Come on." And I watched him walk.
>> Do you know Javarius?
I know him as my friend's baby dad.
>> Okay.
>> Did you see who came to the door?
>> His girlfriend.
>> Okay. So, you you recognize Shadia?
>> Mhm.
>> Okay. All right. And then what' you guys do?
>> Um, we left. We got a call. Well, we Yeah.
We seen that she went in. We sat in the car for a minute and she was trying to wait for Javarius to call her >> and, you know, signify that >> Yeah.
>> he got her. And I think he didn't answer the phone, but Shadia ended up calling.
>> Okay.
>> And she said that she had her >> and that Tanya was about to come get her.
>> Okay. What time did did Amber come back to try and get Lonnie?
>> That's what it was. Six.
>> Six. Okay. Right.
>> Or like five. Six or five.
>> Okay.
>> All right.
>> 2 5 2 36. Look, I just want to give you a chance to talk without anybody else being present.
>> And I'm going to be honest with you, okay? I I'm not I'm not pleased with what I what I've seen on video, but I want you >> to be honest with me, okay?
>> This is a criminal investigation. I want to lose your rights so that you're aware of these talk. Okay?
>> So, you have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say can will be used against you in court of law.
You have the right to talk to attorney and have him or her present with you before and during questioning. If you can afford to hire attorney, one will be appointed to represent you at no cost before and during questioning if you wish. You can decide anytime to exercise these rights, not answer any questions or make any statements. Do you understand each of those rights I explain to you?
>> Yes, sir.
>> Having those rights in mind, are you still willing to talk to me about this case?
>> You're not under arrest.
>> But isn't that when you read that that means that you're I'm gonna be honest with you, okay? I'm considering.
But I want to hear your side of the story because your friends are telling me one thing. You know, your uh I I don't even know what you call him.
Grandma's telling me some other things.
I want to hear your side of the story about why what happened today happened.
>> Father, I'm calling him taking >> Javarius.
>> Yes. Javarius. Jay. Call him Jay.
>> You were supposed to get her. So, we went over there. Mhm.
>> Lonnie knocked on the door. Malia walked halfway there. The mayonnaise guy said, "Why don't you just walk her up all the way over there?"
>> Mhm.
>> Well, she said, "Baby daddy's issues."
Whatever. Lonnie knocked on the door. I heard her when she said, "Poppy." So, she walked in the door. I seen Shardia.
They closed the door. We left.
>> Mhm.
>> We're already somewhere else. Tanya textes Mina and says, "Hey, um, >> I'm going to pick up Lonnie from over there."
>> I'm sorry. Who text you? Tanya texts Mina.
>> Okay. Who's >> Mina? Tanya is the grandma.
>> Okay.
>> Grandma texts Mina saying that she was going to pick up Lonnie cuz Jay wasn't there.
>> Okay. She picks her up. Cool. I handle maybe 2 hours. We're just trying to get stuff ready for the parade cuz I was going to come get her to go take her to the parade.
>> When I call her, you're not getting her back because you just left her there.
>> You called grandma.
>> Yeah. I was on the phone with grandma.
Well, I told I said, "Hey, call your mom. Let her know where can we meet so I can get Lonnie."
>> Mhm.
She said she could forget about now. She don't have to make her she can forget about and I said, "What do you mean?" So I call Tanya and I said, "Let me talk to my baby." While I'm talking to my baby.
I'm like, "Hey, don't you want to go to the parade?" You know, Lonnie's like, "Yeah, grandma. I want to go to the parade with mommy."
>> Phone hangs up. She calls and I'm calling her back, calling her back. She textes me. I got the messages. I'm on the phone with DCF. If you want her back, you need to call the police.
>> Okay. So, and that's when you called Manatee.
>> Exactly. But I called Manatee because I was on the border where I stay. They said I had to be there to make the report or talk to somebody.
>> Okay.
>> He called. And >> what time did you >> first?
>> Excuse me.
>> What time did you call a manatee?
>> I have the thing right here.
>> 559.
>> Okay.
>> That was after speaking to grandma. I was calling grandma 520, 5:43, 5:50, and then I called the police because she said that was the only way I'm getting my daughter back.
>> Okay. So, you spoke to grandma 520, like between 520 and 5:40 you were speaking.
>> Police was called 550.
>> Okay.
>> At what point did you become aware that grandma had >> when we after we dropped her off? She said she was going to go get her. She didn't make it seem like it was a problem at all. She only made it to seem the problem when I wanted to go get her.
>> Okay. Do do you have like text message conversation with grandma that I can look at or >> saying Mina has it on Mina's she was getting money? Yeah. She was picking up money.
>> Okay.
All right.
>> She didn't call Sarasota till she found out that I spoke to Manatee. She didn't think I was going to call the cops on her for real.
>> Okay.
>> And I told her I said I just want my baby back. Right.
>> Manatee told me, "Listen, since I'm Manatee, I can't do anything about it.
You would have to call Sarasota."
>> But she did tell me she was going to meet with you at Siesta in >> that way you can get your daughter. And I told him, "She's not going to give her to me. You know, she's she's evil. She's playing police games. She's telling me to meet her here, meet her there, and she's nowhere to be found."
>> Okay.
>> So, I pull up to still siesta in where he said she was going to bring me my daughter. I stood waiting there for 30 minutes. I called the cops again. They said, "We have somebody coming out to you now." 20 minutes again passed by.
Nobody came. So, I called them again and they said, "Is this for Tanya?" And I said, "What?" "Oh, you just made a report saying a 5-year-old was abandoned at the hotel." I said, "No, this is the mom." I also calling you guys because of you know what I had explained to Manatee.
>> Mhm.
>> Okay.
>> Then she called, she sent me a picture of the apartment. She's like, "If you want her back, you need to come get her here." So, I said, "I'll meet you guys there." That's when I came, but the traffic was forever and I just pulled up.
>> Okay, >> I'll figure it out.
>> I think it's been going on for a while.
>> To be honest with you, I really on my own.
>> All right. Look, is there anything else you can think of that I should know?
>> Like what, sir? I'm I just want to see my baby. We were supposed to go to the parade. Like, she made it a big deal for what? For what? That there was We shouldn't even be here right now, and she knows that.
>> Okay. Like, >> all right. Well, Amber, stand up for me.
>> No.
>> Stand up. Put your hands behind your back.
>> You got a phone.
>> Let's do two cups.
22 noise in and we'll get dispatch. I'm in the area at 22 noise.
There's no violations. I'm clear. You cancel.
All right, Amber, you're under arrest for life. Okay, what? Hey, listen to me.
Listen to me.
>> I will talk to you, but what I want you to do right now, Amber, I want you to have a seat because I don't want any of these kids to see you walking out.
>> I just got a good job. I'm going to lose it. I have no Please. Like, bro, I just want my >> We're not reporting this to your workplace.
>> That's not the thing. I'm a chiropractor. Listen, on my back, listen to me. I shouldn't be here, man.
>> Amber, listen to me. What I want you to do is have a seat. I'm going to make sure that these kids aren't out front so that they don't see you walking out in handcuffs.
>> Go to jail.
>> The case was later forwarded for prosecution following the investigation.
The mother, identified in court records as a 23-year-old woman, was charged with felony neglect without great bodily harm. Court records show she was granted release bond following a bond hearing on December 4th, 2023 and later entered a not-uilty plea while requesting a jury trial. The case was officially closed on January 19th, 2024 after prosecutors dropped and abandoned the charge. Want to watch more videos like this one?
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