DORAL, Fla. — A Florida woman faces child neglect charges after her 9-year-old nonverbal son was found alone for 17 hours, a situation her father described as “extremely abnormal.”
Melissa Marie Luckett, 31, posted $5,000 bond after her arrest Saturday. Neighbors reportedly discovered the boy, wearing only a diaper and running barefoot near the road outside a gated community. A jogger attempted to stop him and noticed he might have special needs or be nonverbal, according to the arrest report.
The Department of Children and Families took custody of the boy, and an investigation revealed Luckett had left her home the previous night at 9:35 p.m., according to Ring camera footage, and last spoke to her father around 11:00 p.m. She returned to her home the next day at approximately 3:00 p.m., wearing different clothes.
Luckett’s father, who had expected them to visit him in Virginia, told police that his daughter and grandson are usually “attached at the hip” and never separate, calling the incident highly unusual and raising fears that something serious had occurred. He planned to fly to Miami to take custody of the boy and assist with the investigation.
Luckett was charged with one count of child neglect with no great harm. Her arraignment is scheduled for Nov. 19.
This article has been carefully fact-checked by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and eliminate any misleading information. We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity in our content.
Leave a Comment