A Florida woman has been charged with child neglect after her five-year-old son was found wandering alone in a park in Miami Beach. Witnesses say they saw the boy’s mother, identified as 20-year-old Alize Angel Rodriguez, leave the park and drive off without him.
According to the police report, concerned onlookers spotted the young boy walking around the park by himself for about 20 minutes. When officers arrived and spoke to the boy, he told them something heartbreaking—that his mom would leave him in the park as punishment when he was “being bad.”
Several witnesses came forward with details about what happened. Some said they saw Rodriguez leave the park with a man in a gray Toyota, leaving her son behind. Others reported seeing her nearby on Meridian Avenue, where the park is located. One person even saw her toss her purse into some bushes. When officers retrieved the bag, they found marijuana and pills inside, including Xanax.
Rodriguez was eventually located and taken into custody. She denied being under the influence, but police charged her with felony child neglect without great bodily harm, possession of a controlled substance, and a misdemeanor for having less than 20 grams of cannabis.
The little boy is now in the care of his maternal grandmother. Meanwhile, Rodriguez is being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center with a $3,000 bond. Her next court date hasn’t been set yet.
