Police: Toddler Left In Car At Bar While Grandparents Drank

A Lake County couple is facing child neglect charges for leaving their 2-year-old grandson in their car while they were drinking in a bar.

According to police, the grandparents were drinking out on the patio at Steve's Redhouse Pub and Restaurant. The problem is, their 2-year-old grandchild was 75 feet away in a car. It was dark and they couldn't see him.

Leesburg police charged 67-year-old Floyd Bradford and 41-year-old Cheryl Bradford with child neglect. They said the grandparents left the boy alone in the car while they were drinking at Steve's Redhouse.

"We saw what was happening and called the cops to handle it," said bar manager Adriana Angrignon.

Email News Sign-Up Multiple Choices - Auto sign-up (LEFT ALIGN) GET WFTV NEWS HEADLINES BY EMAIL 9 a.m. Headlines Noon Headlines 4 p.m. Headlines News of the Strange Breaking News Alerts According to the police report, when officers arrived, they said the child had been alone in the car for 20 minutes in 56-degree weather. The toddler was apparently shivering.

"It's just sad that people neglect their children like that. A child is not a piece of furniture, not an object, they're a human being and you have to take care of them," said Capt. David Marden, Leesburg Police Department.

Police said the grandparents reeked of alcohol and were stumbling around the bar. There was even a brief scuffle.

"The grandmother was shoving around the female witness that was in there," Angrignon said.

The child's mother, Tabatha Smart, works at the bar. She apparently didn't know the toddler was outside. She isn't being charged, but the state is investigating.

As for the grandparents, they've been told to stay away from Steve's Redhouse.

"No longer allowed to come back to this bar," Angrignon said.

In fact, the bar has served the grandparents with a no trespass order.

Police said the child was now with his mother. The Department of Children and Families is investigating. Eyewitness News tried to contact the mother but she wasn't available.