Florida babysitter child neglect charges have been filed against Maribel Katiusca Plaza, a Lake County, Florida woman arrested on 19 June after she allegedly abandoned the child in her care to spend the night at her boyfriend’s house, leaving the child unattended and with access to THC gummies and CBD oil.
Plaza was charged with child abuse and child neglect following an investigation by local police, Fox 35 Orlando reported. The child subsequently tested positive for THC.
How the Florida Babysitter Child Neglect Case Unfolded
According to a sworn affidavit, a family member confirmed to police via video call that Plaza was the sole adult responsible for the child while the family travelled out of state to Georgia for several days.
When police spoke with the child, the child reported that Plaza had left the property at around 10 p.m. the previous evening. No other adult came to the house in Plaza’s absence.
Police tracked Plaza down and reached her by telephone. She initially told officers she had left believing the family would return later that night. She later admitted the real reason: she had left the child alone at the family home so she could sleep at her boyfriend’s residence.
When police asked how the child could have returned a positive result for THC, Plaza said she had placed a bottle of CBD oil in the bathroom medicine cabinet and THC gummies in the freezer. Both locations were accessible to the child. Plaza denied providing any substances directly to the child and told officers the child ‘should not know what they are.’ The child was unable to tell police what substances they had consumed.
Charges, Bond, and Next Court Date
Plaza was arrested on 19 June and posted a $5,000 bond later the same day, according to Yahoo News. She is due to appear in court on 13 July.
The case falls under Florida’s child neglect and child abuse statutes, which the Florida Department of Children and Families administers in conjunction with law enforcement agencies including the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. Child neglect in Florida can be charged as a felony where, as here, the neglect results in harm or a credible risk of harm to a child.
Plaza’s decision to leave THC gummies in a location accessible to the child is likely to bear directly on the child abuse count. Prosecutors will need to establish that Plaza knew or should have known the child could access the substances, a threshold her own admissions to police may help satisfy. Her statement that the child ‘should not know what they are’ suggests awareness that the substances existed in the home, rather than ignorance of any risk.
Criminal records and arrest data in Florida are held by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Plaza’s case will be prosecuted at the county level in Lake County.
Subject to any developments before her 13 July court appearance, the prosecution’s position will depend heavily on the affidavit, the child’s toxicology results, and Plaza’s own admissions in the telephone interview with police.
