A Bradford County woman was arrested in Gainesville Friday afternoon on suspicion of leaving her baby inside a car while going to work.
Darneshia Stephens, 30, was arrested at the Parklands Rehabilitation Care Center, at 1000 SW 16th Ave., on one charge of felony child neglect.
A person walking home from work spotted the baby alone inside a running vehicle and entered the rehabilitation facility to find the car’s owner, according to the arrest report.
The eyewitness returned and opened the car door, finding the baby covered in feces. Pill bottles were scattered around the inside within easy reach, the arrest report said.
Stephens told officers she normally brought the baby to daycare but couldn’t on Friday. She periodically checked on her baby throughout the day, and believed the baby was okay because there were toys and food inside the car, according to the arrest report.
After arriving at the jail, officers learned Stephens was pregnant. She was medically cleared at the Millhopper Emergency Hospital and booked.
The baby was left inside the car for approximately six hours. Temperatures during that time reached as low as 64 degrees Fahrenheit, according to weather readings.
Contact Daniel Bednar at dbednar@alligator.org. Follow him on X @Danielbednar5.
Daniel Bednar is a first-year political science major and the Criminal Justice reporter for The Alligator. When he's not writing, you can find him scuba diving in the Keys or flying airplanes.
