A North Fort Myers mother faces charges after authorities say she left her 5-year-old son with autism home alone for nearly eight hours while she went to work.
Yvana Miller, 28, faces charges of child neglect.
According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, on May 13, neighbors on Caterina Court contacted authorities after they spotted the young child sitting near the roadway outside their home, unclothed and without adult supervision.
The sheriff’s office said deputies and firefighters found no adults inside the home during a welfare check. The home appeared to have little furniture, minimal food, and no running water, according to authorities.
Detectives later made contact with Miller, the child’s mother.
During an interview, the sheriff’s office said, Miller admitted she left the child alone while she worked an approximately eight-hour shift at a Cape Coral assisted living facility.
Miller told detectives that she monitored the child remotely through a doorbell camera placed inside the home.
First responders turned the child over to a relative after they completed an evaluation.
Miller remained at the Lee County Jail on May 15 without bond set. Her arraignment is June 15.
Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@usatodayco.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran, Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews and Bluesky @tomasfrodriguez.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Working mom arrested after leaving child, 5, with autism home alone
Reporting by Tomas Rodriguez, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Fort Myers News-Press
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