A South Miami mother has been arrested on child neglect charges after police said her 5-year-old daughter, who is autistic and nonverbal, was found wandering alone inside the same Family Dollar store twice in one week.
South Miami police were called to the store at 5978 Southwest 64th Street. Officers said the girl was wearing a soiled diaper and could not tell them who she was. Her cellphone rang during the investigation, and the caller was her mother, Jasmine Greer, 37, who was searching for her.
Greer told officers she had been cleaning her apartment when she noticed the girl was missing. Police said four days later, the same child was found alone in the same store, again in a soiled diaper. Greer had already removed her from the store by the time officers arrived. Police later found the two at the family’s apartment complex.
Surveillance video from an earlier incident showed the girl eating candy near a checkout counter. Investigators said Greer admitted she had not properly supervised her daughter, who had a known history of wandering from home. Sgt. Fernando Bosch said the child could have been hit by a car.
A judge found probable cause for the neglect charges and set Greer’s bond at $20,000. The judge also ordered her to stay at least 500 feet away from her daughter. Greer has no prior arrest record. Bosch said a similar incident involving another of Greer’s daughters was reported two years ago in Virginia, but it was not known whether Greer was charged. The Florida Department of Children and Families has taken custody of Greer’s three children while the investigation continues.
