need to know
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A mother of two was arrested after she was accused of leaving her children, 4 and 3, with an Uber driver for two hours while shopping
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She was charged with one count of child neglect and two counts of child abandonment after allegedly being drunk
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Emily Sabogal appeared in court on February 15, where bail was set at $1,500 for each charge and was later released after posting bond.
A Florida mother has been arrested after she was accused of leaving her 4- and 3-year-old children with an Uber driver for several hours while they shopped at a nearby mall.
According to CBS Miami, Emily Sabogal was arrested in Sunrise, Florida on February 13 after Sunrise police received a 911 call from an Uber driver. She was charged with one count of child neglect and two counts of child abandonment.
“So how long have you been here?” the officer asks in newly released body camera footage obtained by CBS Miami and other South Florida outlets.
“More than two hours,” the Uber driver clarified.
Police said the children were thirsty and hungry but were “in good spirits,” CBS Miami reported.
In the video, the Uber driver told police he believed Saboghar, 32, entered the vehicle under the influence of alcohol and that she had a glass of liquid with her that smelled like rum.
Citing police video, an officer explained that she “kept telling him to turn around” when reinforcements arrived, CBS Miami reported. “You know, that’s different than what the GPS said. She went away, canceled the ride, I’ll give you extra cash. Gave him $10 or so. Ended up here. Dropped off in the parking lot. Disappeared.”
The driver claimed Sabogal then took his phone, canceled the Uber ride and gave him a $10 bill, WFLA reported. The mother-of-two allegedly told the driver she would be gone for three minutes before getting out of the car, and the Uber driver, who has not yet been identified, did not call until an hour after she left.
“You’ve been away from your child for two hours, more than two hours,” a police officer said in the video, NBC Miami reported.
Sabogal then allegedly claimed to want to go home, adding, “My situation is a little complicated.”
“Your first priority should be your children,” the officer told her.
“My kids, absolutely, 100 percent, gosh, listen, I’m not a criminal,” she said. “I don’t know what’s going on right now.”
WPLG Local 10/Youtube
“What happened is you abandoned your child for two hours, that’s what happened,” the officer added. “That Uber driver has been sitting with your kids for the past two hours waiting for you to come back.”
Sabogal then allegedly told police her phone was out of battery. “I didn’t do anything wrong,” Sabogal said. “I don’t know what happened. I’m sorry, I get what you mean, I get your job. I get your whole character. I get it,” she said in video obtained by WFLA and NBC South Florida.
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An investigation found that Sabogal had been to a local restaurant with the children and consumed multiple alcoholic beverages, NBC South Florida reported, citing police.
Sabogal is due in court on February 15. She was released on $1,500 bail, NBC South Florida reported.
People have contacted the Sunrise Police Department.
Read the original article on People
