TITUSVILLE, Fla. — A mother bonded out of the Brevard County Jail Friday morning after she was arrested on child neglect charges, authorities said.
Two day care workers from the Shining Stars Learning Center and the mother of a 4-year-old boy who was left behind in a day care van were arrested on child neglect charges on Thursday, Titusville police said.
Police said the arrests are related to DeShawn Harris, 4, who was reported missing at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday from a motel room.
Harris was found uninjured three hours later.%
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Police said the child fell asleep in the van of the Shining Stars Learning Center and no one noticed for about two hours. He woke up, unbuckled himself and walked back into the day care, looking for his siblings, who were already home.
Wanda Fanne Curry, 50, of Mims, Ashley Latifah Anderson, 24, of Mims, and Tiffani Marie Hernandez, 26, of Titusville were arrested Thursday.
Anderson and Curry have been relieved from their jobs and are no longer allowed on the premise of the day care.
Curry and Anderson are employees at Shining Stars Learning Center and Hernandez is Harris’ mother.
Police said Hernandez noticed her son was missing Tuesday night when she went outside to get her 7-year-old son off the roof of the motel.
The employees said they thought they dropped the boy off with his siblings at the motel, police said.
A motel worker told police Hernandez allows her children to run around the building after dark.
Investigators said the worker told them Hernandez let her young children play outside the Budget motel where they live while she used the restroom.
During the course of the investigation, questions were raised about the adequate supervision of the children, police said.
Channel 9 found out the Department of Children and Families investigated the boy’s mother for suspected child neglect and substance abuse in the past, but that case was closed.
Hernandez’s children are in state custody.
DCF is investigating the transportation police in clearing its can, and the center will likely soon receive a letter of intent to issue a Class 1 violation from the state.
Class 1 violations are the most serious and typically involve child safety issues. It may lead to a loss of funding for the day care or fines.