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Florida mom arrested at airport after leaving 4 kids aged 9 to 14 home alone during work trip to Vegas
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Authorities have arrested a mom of four after discovering that she had left her four children at home alone while she was on a days-long work trip to Las Vegas.
Irene Miller, 50, was arrested by police at an airport after emergency responders were called to her Kissimmee home and found a nine-year-old who was struck in the head by a falling dumbbell.
Investigators had called the Florida-based professional photographer, who left on the trip on October 18, and learned she planned to return five days later.
The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office further revealed in a news release that the child was allegedly hit in the head by a falling dumbbell while his mom was away.
A 911 call was then made by a child who reported that her brother was injured following the incident, just after 8:30PM on Friday (October 23).
Upon arriving at the home, first responders discovered that four kids, aged 14, 12, 11, and nine, were left alone with no adult supervision.
Police said that the injured boy was swiftly taken to Celebration Hospital for treatment before eventually being released.
Why was the mom in Las Vegas?
According to Miller's social media accounts, she had traveled to Sin City to work with a client who was linked with the real estate brokerage franchise network, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate.
Upon being handcuffed, the mom claimed that she had a babysitter who traveled to her home from Tampa daily to care for her children before and after school, though they were not required to stay overnight.
Police also revealed that the children's father was contacted, after which he took all the kids to his home.
Upon touching down at Orlando International Airport on Friday, police escorted and cuffed the mom, with the incident being captured on bodycam footage.
Miller was booked into Orange County Jail and charged with four counts of child neglect without great bodily harm, local authorities said.
Speaking in a statement, Sheriff Chris Blackmon said: “The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office will not tolerate child neglect. These cases will be investigated, and charges will be brought against the parents who are not properly supervising or caring for their children.”
More information from the Sheriff's Office
Sheriff's spokesperson Capt. Kim Montes said that deputies made phone contact with Miller after the incident, and she said she would be returning to the Sunshine State two days later.
"She told deputies that she had a babysitter coming from Tampa in the mornings to get the children ready for school and to check on them after school, but she did not require her to stay the night," Montes stated.
Deputies had already responded to an emergency call from her children at a Parkway Boulevard apartment on the west side of town.