3-year-old left unattended at mall playground while mom went to job, FL cops say

A 3-year-old left unattended at a shopping mall was later seen heading into traffic when a passerby intervened, according to investigators in the Florida Panhandle.

It happened just after 1 p.m. Sunday, June 15, at the Silver Sands Premium Outlets in Destin, and resulted in the child’s mother being charged, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office said in a June 16 news release.

Witnesses report the child had been seen playing alone since “at least 11:30 a.m.,” the sheriff’s office said.

”According to witnesses, the toddler had nearly run into traffic before a bystander intervened and pulled him to safety. After trying unsuccessfully to locate the child’s parent, the good Samaritan brought the boy to Silver Sands security,” the sheriff’s office said.

“Deputies made contact with security staff at the outlet mall’s security office, where the child was safe and being cared for. While deputies were on scene interviewing witnesses, a woman ... approached asking about her son.”

The 22-year-old woman told deputies she worked “at a nearby store and had left her son at the playground,” where he was to be picked up by a family friend, the sheriff’s office said.

“She claimed she had been watching him through the store’s window while working,” officials said.

“However, (she) was unaware that her son had been with a bystander for approximately 45 minutes or that he had attempted to run into traffic, prompting the witness to alert security. At no point did she contact law enforcement to report her child missing.”

Investigators say the heat index at the time was 101 degrees and the child was left at the outdoor playground with no food or water.

The boy’s mother was charged with child neglect and “released on her own recognizance,” the sheriff’s office said.

“This could have ended much worse,” Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson said in the release. “Thanks to the good Samaritans who stepped in and the quick action by our deputies, this little boy is safe. But this kind of situation is not only dangerous, it is unacceptable.”

Destin is about a 50-mile drive east from Pensacola.

This story was originally published June 17, 2025 at 7:31 AM with the headline "3-year-old left unattended at mall playground while mom went to job, FL cops say."