The Sanford Police Department has reported that two parents from Sanford, Florida, are now facing manslaughter charges after their 3-year-old child was discovered floating in a local pond.
The distressing incident unfolded at the Crosby at Towne Center apartments when officers responded to reports of a missing 3-year-old boy around 3:15 p.m. on a Saturday.
Florida Tragic Outcome
As per the account of his father, Lester Ortiz, the young boy, who has been diagnosed with autism, was spotted for the last time around 30 minutes before the law enforcement personnel arrived at the scene.
The mother, Barbara Luiz, recounted that her son was in the apartment’s living room while she was briefly in the bathroom around 12:40 p.m. At this point, she heard a door open and closed and asked her teenage daughter to investigate.
However, tragically, the teenager was unaware that the toddler had wandered off, prompting a frantic search by the parents. Heartbreakingly, investigators later revealed that the toddler had gone missing at least three other times before, each instance culminating in a concerned neighbor finding the child and bringing him to the apartment’s front office.
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Ongoing Investigation
Upon entering the family’s residence, police noted the distinct smell of freshly smoked marijuana and observed a state of disarray. During the course of their investigation, officers spotted an unfamiliar object in a pond behind the apartment, which, devastatingly, turned out to be the missing child.
Subsequently, Barbara Luiz and Lester Ortiz were arrested and charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child. The Seminole County Sheriff’s Office has yet to provide a booking photo for Ortiz, despite inquiries.
This deeply distressing event underscores the solemn significance of remaining watchful and providing close oversight, especially when it pertains to safeguarding and ensuring the welfare of young children.
It serves as a poignant reminder of the indispensable need for constant vigilance and attentive care in the lives of our little ones.
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