ORLANDO, Fla.,None — Edwin McFarlane spoke publicly Thursday afternoon for the first time since his charges of false imprisonment were dropped. McFarlane was charged after leaving a Burlington Coat Factory store with a 3-year-old child who he said he was trying to help.
McFarlane spoke briefly inside his attorney's office. His support team gave a detailed 4-year plan to get his life on track, but no one wanted to answer any questions about what happened inside the Burlington Coat Factory store.
"First, it was kind of scary, and then I just felt OK," McFarlane said during the Thursday afternoon presser (watch full presser).
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With his mother and attorney by his side, 15-year-old Edwin McFarlane spoke out for the first time since his felony case was dropped.
"I felt relieved when the charges were dropped," he said.
McFarlane was arrested last month and charged with false imprisonment after being seen on camera leaving the Burlington Coat Factory store in west Orange County with a 3-year-old girl.
With all that has happened, WFTV reporter Mark Boyle asked what the teen would change if he could do it all over again.
"Would you help another girl in the same situation again?" Boyle asked.
"Yes, I would, but I would do things differently," he said. "I would go find a store manager or find someone to help."
The entire case was just dropped last week when the sheriff asked the state attorney not to prosecute, but there was no explanation.
"Have your life turned upside down in a matter of a few hours was difficult, but we are positive and with a lot of support and prayer," Edwin's mom said, who added that her son has been living in fear. "The biggest thing was not being able to go outside and be a normal child. He was afraid to look out the window."
McFarlane's attorney didn't allow her client to answer many questions about the day he was arrested.
"What were you doing when you saw this girl? What was your intention?" Boyle asked.
"I think he has talked about that, just wanting to help," McFarlane's attorney said, jumping in to answer. "We want to move forward. We want to put it all behind him. We want to talk about what's next."
Meanwhile, a high-ranking major at the Orange County Sheriff's Office is still under investigation for compromising the McFarlane case. Major Frank Fabrizio was accused of leaking information to his daughter, who then posted it on the blog site Reddit.com.
The sheriff said Fabrizio's actions compromised the case against McFarlane and that's why he recommended the charges be dropped. At last check, Fabrizio has not been suspended.
Previous Stories: June 29, 2010: Charges Dropped Against Teen Accused Of Taking Girl June 29, 2010: Sheriff Wants State To Forego Charging Edwin McFarlane June 25, 2010: WFTV Learns Arrested 14-Year-Old Failed Lie Detector Test June 25, 2010: Judge Lifts Home Confinement For 14-Year-Old June 22, 2010: Lawyer Defends Teen Accused Of Taking Child June 21, 2010: Sheriff Defends Controversial Arrest Of 14-Year-Old June 18, 2010: Attorneys: Drop Teen's False Imprisonment Charge June 17, 2010: Teen Accused Of Taking Girl: "I Was Just Trying To Help" June 12, 2010: Teen Accused Of Taking Toddler Faces Judge June 11, 2010: Was Teen Trying To Kidnap Toddler Or Help? June 11, 2010: Teen Accused Of Leading Child Out Of Store
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