A Florida woman is facing child neglect charges after her nonverbal 9-year-old son was discovered alone, an incident her father described as “extremely abnormal.”
Melissa Marie Luckett, 31, posted $5,000 bond following her arrest on Saturday. Neighbors reportedly found her son alone in Doral, Fla. According to an arrest report reviewed by Law&Crime, a woman jogging on Saturday morning saw the boy wearing only a diaper and running barefoot near a road outside a gated community. When the neighbor tried to intervene, it became clear the boy might have special needs or was nonverbal, police said.
Authorities notified the Department of Children and Families, who took custody of the boy. Investigation revealed that Luckett had left her home the night before at 9:35 p.m., captured on a Ring camera. She last spoke to her father around 11:00 p.m. that night. She returned home on Saturday around 3:00 p.m., wearing different clothes.
Police spoke with Luckett’s father, who had been expecting a visit from his daughter and grandson in Virginia. They never arrived. He described the separation as “extremely abnormal,” noting that the two are typically “attached at the hip and never went anywhere without each other,” and feared “something serious may have occurred.”
Authorities said Luckett’s father planned to fly to Miami to take custody of the boy and assist with the investigation.
Luckett was arrested and interviewed by police. Her statement was redacted in the report. She faces one count of child neglect without great harm and posted bond on Monday. Her arraignment is scheduled for Nov. 19.
