Police Video Documents Discovery of 6-Year-Old Left Alone at Sunny Isles Beach Park

Exclusive video footage obtained by Local 10 News on Friday documents the moment law enforcement officers located a 6-year-old boy at Town Center Park in Sunny Isles Beach on Saturday evening. The incident unfolded shortly before 9 p.m. after a witness notified authorities that the child was unattended in the park.

According to a police arrest report, the child informed witnesses that his mother had abandoned him at the location and that he felt frightened and hungry, having consumed nothing since his morning meal. A bystander reported to officers that the boy had been alone for approximately one hour before help arrived. During questioning, the child explained to police that his mother had left him to obtain food with an acquaintance.

As officers searched the vicinity for the child’s guardian, 41-year-old Elena Sexton of Corpus Christi, Texas eventually returned to the park. She told law enforcement she had parked at a shopping center located at 17000 Collins Avenue and walked away to collect some toys. Sexton further stated that she encountered a friend at that location who invited her to sit down and eat, and she accepted the offer while her son remained unattended.

Body camera video depicts the boy with officers as nightfall deepened and subsequently shows police taking Sexton into custody. Jail records indicate she was arrested Saturday and charged with child neglect without great bodily harm. The Florida Department of Children and Families became involved in the matter, with the boy now residing with his grandmother.