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Boy, 5, left in day care van for 5 hours, Orange County deputies say

Bus driver, 2 Winner's Preschool and Child Care workers to be charged

ORLANDO, Fla. – A 5-year old boy is doing OK after he was left inside a day care van for about five hours, deputies said.

Deputies said they were called to the Winner's Preschool and Child Care near Powers Drive at 1:15 p.m. Friday when a person walking by saw the 5-year-old boy in the 12-seat passenger van.

The child had been left in the van from 8:20 a.m. until after 1 p.m., according to OCSO.

The child was in good condition and was evaluated by the Orange County Fire Rescue before being given back to his parents, deputies said.

Parents that News 6 spoke to said they just want to know how this could have happened in the first place.

"What happened? What made you all forget a child in a car. Did you all check to see if there was someone in the car? Did you all do a head count?" said parent Sandale Keaton.

"That's scary. I don't know how they can leave a baby in there for five hours. I don't think it's right," Raude Hybbolige said.

Officials said they got the call about the boy around 1 p.m. when a man walking in the parking lot noticed the child left inside and called 911.

The man who claims he found the child talked about it in a video posted on his Facebook page.

Investigators said some of the van's windows were slightly rolled down.

Briana Thomas has three boys of her own that go to the day care.

"It was a baby. He's 5 years old and, you know, you're all supposed to check and make sure the kids are out of the car and stuff so, it's very sad because I have three boys and I don't want them to be left in no car like that," Thomas said.

Louis Joseph said he had to come pick up his nieces at the day care because they called saying they couldn't drop them off.

"No wonder they called my sister and said they can't drive the van today, so we had to come and pick them up," Joseph said.

"As parents, we're paying our money for them to make sure our child is taken care of. For that to happen, it's something scary and serious," Sandale Keaton said.

The Sheriff's Office will be charging the bus driver and two day care workers with neglect. Their names have not been released.

The Department of Children and Families has also been notified.


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