BOCA RATON, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2023) — A 4-year-old girl was found walking along a busy street in the Sandalfoot area of unincorporated Boca Raton.

A bystander called 9-1-1 when he saw the 4-year-old girl walking near the 9000 block of SW 3rd Street in unincorporated Boca Raton just before 11 AM on Wednesday, September 27th, 2023.

The bystander said he found the girl walking along SW 3rd street, all by herself. A Spanish-speaking deputy responded to assist. The girl pointed at the community she lives in but told deputies she did not know exactly what house number. Deputies say the girl was in good health. Finally, with the assistance of several service aides, deputies were able to locate the girl’s home. Deputies responded to the girls home to find a man who said he did not know the girl was missing but that he had just woken up. The man said that he was up all night in the hospital but the mother was supposed to be home with the girl. The man said maybe the mother “must have gone shopping”.

Deputies checked the residence and observed the front door did not lock when closed to spite claims that it was child proof.

Finally, deputies were able to contact the mother who responded to the scene. The woman said that she rushed out of the home at 7 AM to drop off another kid at school and then slept in her car because she was “too medicated” to drive. Deputies determined that the child was on the streets for approximately 3.5 hours. Deputies arrested the mother for child neglect. The woman spent the night in jail and was released the following day any bond.

The girl was found 1.2 miles away from where her mother reports that she lives.

Note, we are not identifying the mother by name or likeness in an effort to protect the identify of the child.