Florida Woman Leaves Young Boy in Running Car While She Takes an Ocean Swim

A Florida woman was arrested this week after she left a young child alone in her running vehicle while she took a swim where multiple people were fishing, warning her about their hooks and the possibility of sharks in the water.

Witnesses said Allison Sarah Daugherty, 41, shouted back that she didn’t care and “wanted to get hooked” and “would want to meet sharks,” WBBH reported.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said Daughtery parked her car near Bokeelia Pier at about 10:30 a.m. Monday, cranked up the radio volume and the air conditioning, and jumped in the water, leaving the young boy, still in diapers, crawling around in the car unattended.

She had been in the water about 20 minutes when officers arrived, and she swam further from shore when she saw them. A Boca Grande Marine Unit brought her back to shore.

Staff at Capt’n Cons Fish House, across the street from the pier, told WBBH the woman and the boy had been at the restaurant three times in the past week and that each time she seemed “just off.”

“She didn’t seem drunk. She didn’t seem intoxicated,” said Jenny Wray.

Wray said they fed the little boy lunch after the woman’s arrest while waiting on a family member to pick him up.

Daughtery was charged with one count of child neglect.

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[Featured image: Allison Sarah Daugherty/Lee County Sheriff’s Office]