A 3-year-old girl somehow knew to call 911 after authorities in Florida say her caretaker left her alone in a trailer with her 1-year-old brother, several dogs and an unsecured firearm.
Volusia County Sheriff's deputies said in a statement that the incident happened at 8 a.m. Tuesday when a 911 call was made by a young female in an Oak Hill trailer park home.
During the eight-minute call, the 911 dispatcher could be heard asking the youngster, who wasn’t able to speak clearly, how old she was, and to call her mommy or daddy to the phone.
Deputies arrived while the girl was still on the phone, where they say the two young children had been left home alone, along with three dogs and an unsecured shotgun, the ammunition of which was within reach.
"Both children were found wearing soiled diapers. A dog was running loose in the home and two others were found caged in the kitchen. The deputy noted the residence was unkempt with dog fecal matter on the floors and hardly any food in the refrigerator," the sheriff's office statement read.
The deputy was able to contact a family member who works out of town. The family member told the deputy that Yajaira Tirado, 26, watches the children and sometimes goes to a store in their golf cart.
A neighbor reportedly told the deputy that Tirado had left in a golf cart at about 7:30 a.m.
About two hours later, the police say they located the golf cart and Tirado, who said she went to get groceries from a friend.
She reportedly told the deputy she knew the children were alone at the residence and “she had only been gone for five minutes.”
Tirado was arrested on two counts of child neglect without great harm. She has since been released on $5,000 bond.
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