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Police: Ocala mom left baby in car while drinking in bar

OCALA, Fla. — A 22-year-old mother was arrested early Monday morning after she left her newborn baby in a car while she drank in a bar, authorities said.

Ocala police said Britney Rohdy was arrested on charges of child neglect after the 1-month-old baby was found sweating and locked in the car at about 1:30 a.m. Monday.

The Ocala Star-Banner reports Britney Jean Rohdy was inside the Suite 306 Bar and Lounge.

Rohdy told the officer she came to the bar to look for someone and had been inside less than 10 minutes. But the bar owner told police she had been there since at least 12:30 a.m. wearing a leopard print dress.

Police said Rohdy also had oxycodone pills in a diaper bag, for which she did not have a prescription.

Officials said the baby is OK and in her grandmother's custody.

Rohdy is being held on a $10,000 bond.

Parent Jessica DeLuca said she never leaves her 11-month old son alone and can't believe any mother would do otherwise.

"I don't get it. It doesn't make any sense to me how someone can do that. Obviously, they don't care about their little child," DeLuca said.

"Her story was she'd only been in there five minutes to talk to somebody. Well, first of all -- the time from the caller to us was more than five minutes. And inside staff said she'd been there at least since 12:30 a.m.," Sgt. Angy Scroble with the Ocala Police Department said.

"Speaking from a mother's point of view, to leave your child, a child of that age, a month old is needy almost 24-7," Scroble said.