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Hector Serrano Jr., a Florida father, is now facing charges of child neglect after he was allegedly seen kicking his 10-year-old daughter out of his vehicle and abandoning her on a highway.
According to WESH, Osceola County Sheriff Marco Lopez stated that witnesses told police Serrano Jr. “threw” his daughter out of his car and “left her on the side of US 192 near Scott Boulevard in Kissimmee.” The incident reportedly occurred around 12:30 a.m. on Monday, July 29.
“Something bad could’ve happened to the little girl. Anybody could’ve kidnapped her. She could’ve become a victim to human trafficking,” Lopez explained.
Serrano Jr. reportedly became frustrated during an argument with his daughter’s grandparents. According to USA Today, the grandparents were ordering Serrano Jr. to return the 10-year-old, who is under their custody, to their residence. Furthermore, they reportedly threatened to call the cops on him if he did not comply.
“It was later discovered that she was thrown out of the vehicle by her own father because the grandparents were threatening to call law enforcement if he didn’t drop her off,” Lopez explained per Fox 35 Orlando. “So he basically said, ‘You know what? Get out and walk to your grandparents’ house'”
Instead, Serrano Jr. allegedly kicked the 10-year-old out of the car and instructed her to walk the rest of the way to their home. Per WESH, one witness even alleged that Serrano threw his daughter’s “toys and clothes at her before speeding away.”
“Mind you, this area is about 21 minutes from grandma’s house… Wolves exist, predators exist,” Lopez added. “You know, you throw a little 10-year-old girl out in an area like that, it doesn’t matter what time of the morning or day it is, that’s a reckless, irresponsible act.”
According to Lopez, witnesses alleged the 10-year-old was “scared, distraught, crying, [and] confused” amid the incident. USA Today adds that dispatchers found the girl around 12:47 a.m. Upon their arrival, the 10-year-old alleged her father took her phone before leaving her on the road.
Furthermore, deputies reportedly transported the girl to her grandparent’s home before informing them of what occurred.
The outlet adds that Serrano Jr. was arrested in the Kissimmee area on Tuesday, August 30. He has since been charged with “child neglect with great bodily harm.” Law & Crime previously reported that Serrano Jr. was being held in Osceola County Jail on a $2,500 bond.
However, the jail’s current records appear to show that he has since been released.
The 30-year-old father isn’t the only parent in Florida to recently face charges of child abuse or neglect. As The Shade Room previously reported, in July, a 40-year-old mother named Jaclyn Goszczynski was taken into custody.
Goszczynski was accused of using an electric screwdriver to push a nail into her daughter’s behind. The mother was reportedly released from custody later that month on a surety bond.
