A heartbreaking incident unfolded in Deltona, Florida, when a neighbour found a little girl alone in a carport and a dog wandering nearby. The 6-year-old child had been left behind by her mother and her mother’s boyfriend—who were later arrested by local police.
A Shocking Discovery in the Front Yard
Around 4:30 p.m. on Friday, a concerned neighbour called the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office after she saw the young girl sitting alone outside her home. The girl told the neighbour she was “hot, thirsty, and hungry.” Acting quickly, the neighbour gave her water, food, clean clothes, and toys while waiting for deputies to arrive.
Deputies Try to Learn the Girl’s Identity
When police arrived, they spoke gently with the child, trying to find out her name and where she lived. Body camera footage shows a deputy asking, “You don’t know if you live nearby here?” The girl replied she wasn’t sure.
She did mention her mother’s name might be “Quana,” and said her parents had to “go somewhere.” When asked more specifically, she revealed that her “mommy and daddy needed to go charge their cell phones.” Shockingly, she also told deputies she did not go to school.
Parents Found After Nine Hours
Deputies spent hours looking for the girl’s parents and finally located them nearly nine hours later. They were identified as 27-year-old Aquania Aleshia Estes and her 29-year-old boyfriend Pitrez Floyd. According to police, both were shocked to be questioned.
In bodycam footage, an officer can be heard saying, “You leave your kid on the side of the f—in’ road?”
Living in the Forest
Estes told officers they were homeless and had been living “in the forest” in tents. She said the girl had wandered off, and she had gone to find food and water. Deputies later found the spot where the family had been staying—two tents hidden in the woods.
The girl was taken into the custody of her grandparents, and medical staff confirmed that she was in stable health after checking her vital signs.
Arrest and Charges
Both Estes and Floyd were arrested and charged with child desertion and animal abandonment, as they had also left behind a dog. As of Sunday morning, both remained in jail with a bond set at $51,000 each.
