Jamie Leigh Gunn, 33, is accused of leaving her two children unattended inside a vehicle while she was at a bar. (West Melbourne Police Department)
West Melbourne, Fla.
A mother in Florida is accused of leaving her two children unattended inside a vehicle while she was inside a bar with a friend.
According to the West Melbourne Police Department, an officer was on patrol last week when they noticed a black SUV at the back of Penny Annie’s Bar on Minton Road.
The officer decided to take a closer look and saw a 2-year-old and an 8-month-old baby asleep in the backseat of the vehicle.
The vehicle’s doors were unlocked, and the SUV’s engine was still running.
West Melbourne police said they found the vehicle’s registered owner, 33-year-old Jamie Leigh Gunn, visiting a friend at the bar.
“The investigation revealed she had been inside the establishment for at least 20 minutes while having no regard for her children who were left unattended,” the department shared.
Police said when Gunn learned they were outside with her vehicle, she was more concerned about going to jail than the welfare of her children.
Gunn was arrested and charged with child neglect. She was booked into the Brevard County Jail on a $15,000 bond.
Authorities said her children were turned over to a family member and the Florida Department of Children and Families was notified to conduct a follow-up investigation.
Gunn has a criminal history consisting of contempt of court, forgery, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving while license suspended, West Melbourne police said.