A 30-year-old Miami woman faces child neglect charges after her 6-year-old son was found walking alone late at night. The boy told police his mother had dropped him off and left him. Annie Rivera claims she did not realize he was missing until authorities contacted her.
Police in Miami responded shortly after 11 p.m. on Wednesday to reports of a young child walking unsupervised near NW 17th Street and NW 7th Avenue. The 6-year-old boy, identified later through Miami-Dade Public Schools, told officers, 'Mommy drop me off and left me.' A passerby, Arnett Johnson, called 911, saying, 'This is odd for him to be in an area like this... you all need to come get him.' Authorities issued a 'need to identify' flyer and learned of a prior Department of Children and Families report from last year citing inadequate supervision concerns for the child. Officers detained Annie Rivera at her nearby apartment in the 1500 block of NW 7th Court on Thursday morning. According to the arrest affidavit, Rivera said she finished her first job around 8:20 p.m., rode home with her son in a Lyft, tucked him into bed, then took another Lyft to meet a friend before a second job, returning between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. She assumed her roommate had taken the boy to school and did not realize he was missing until contacted by authorities. Her roommate confirmed Rivera and the boy were absent when she went to sleep around 11:30 p.m., and in the morning, she found Rivera asleep but no sign of the child. Rivera admitted full responsibility, telling police it was her fault. She posted $2,500 bond at Miami-Dade jail and pleaded not guilty.