A 2-year-old child was found alone in the middle of a St. Cloud roadway late Saturday night, prompting deputies to search the surrounding neighborhood and eventually arrest the child’s parents on neglect charges.
The incident happened around 11:39 p.m. Sept. 26 near Jones Road and Talisi Loop, where a passing driver spotted the toddler walking in the road. The driver stopped, got the child to safety and called 911.
The child was wearing only a diaper and tank top and appeared frightened and was crying, but deputies said the toddler was not injured.
Osceola County Sheriff’s Office deputies searched nearby homes to determine where the child lived. They found a residence on Talisi Loop with its front door open and no one inside. Items inside the home, including children’s belongings, helped deputies identify it as the child’s residence.
Investigators then tried to contact the people associated with the home. Deputies said they reached the child’s father, 36-year-old Johnny JeanBaptiste, by phone, but he ended the call. JeanBaptiste and the child’s mother, 32-year-old Stacia McMillian, later returned to the residence shortly after midnight.
According to deputies, both parents were uncooperative when questioned about the circumstances surrounding the child’s whereabouts.
JeanBaptiste and McMillian were arrested and each faces one count of child neglect without great bodily harm.
The case received an additional court update Monday. A judge set bond at $2,500 for each parent, according to local court reporting.
The Florida Department of Children and Families was notified following the incident. A family member took custody of the child.
Authorities have not publicly provided a full explanation of why the toddler was left without an adult at the home or where the parents were when the child was found. Those circumstances remain part of the investigation.
The case serves as another reminder of how quickly a young child can leave a home unnoticed. In this instance, the child was brought to safety after a passing driver noticed the toddler in the roadway and contacted emergency services.
JeanBaptiste and McMillian are accused of child neglect, and the charges are allegations. They are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
