Local

Girl, 7, found sleeping in car while dad drank in topless club

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A man deputies arrested outside an Orange County strip club Tuesday night after they said he left his young daughter in a car while he went into the club to drink is out on bond Wednesday.

Surveillance video shows deputies arriving and searching for the man outside the Diamond Club on South Semoran Boulevard. The video shows Elliut Gonzalez, 38, walking out of the Diamond Club where he found deputies waiting for him at his car.

"Initially the gentleman had said it had been 15 minutes, but after the investigation was done it was closer to an hour," said Ginette Rodriguez of the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies say a caller to 911 reported seeing Gonzalez's 7-year-old child asleep on the front seat of this car, with the windows rolled up.

"There is a green car and inside the car there is a girl, a young girl," the caller told the 911 dispatcher. "And the guy who was driving it just got into the club, the Diamond Club."

Investigators ran the car's license plate to get Gonzalez's name. They then searched nearby cars with flashlights looking for him. They eventually had him paged inside the strip club.

Shortly after he came out he was arrested.

Deputies said they believe that 7-year-old had been locked in the car for at least 50 minutes before they arrived and made Gonzalez come out of the club.

"It's a school night and the child should be at home in her own bed sleeping," said Rodriguez.

Once news of the incident spread, some local residents expressed outrage.

"That is freaking wrong, man," said resident Hector Naranjo.

"Do not leave your child in the car alone," said resident Larry Ramirez.

The Florida Department of Children and Families is investigating the incident. They said the young girl is staying with a family member.

"Anyone could have looked inside the vehicle and the child could have been abducted,  who knows what could have happened to this child," Ramirez said.

DCF said the child was initially placed in Gonzalez' care after the mother abused her.

Gonzalez was released on bond Wednesday night.