Two Florida parents were found passed out in their car in the parking lot of an IHOP while their toddler wandered around naked in the parking lot.
IHOP employees in Panama City noticed a naked toddler wandering around their parking lot around 5:30 a.m. on April 10 and spotted a van in the lot with two adults who appeared to be passed out. The employees tried but failed, to wake the parents up, so they alerted the police.
When officers arrived, they saw drugs inside the van and also found 9-month-old twins inside. One of the babies was covered with blankets and pillows.
“All three children appeared to be in good health but needed clean clothes and diapers. Our officers helped care for the children by changing their clothing while the IHOP employees provided the children with pancakes. Thank you, IHOP, for being a wonderful community partner,” Panama City stated in a Facebook post.
Panama City Police are proud to highlight the quick and caring action of the employees of a local restaurant and our…
Posted by City of Panama City – Government on Friday, April 12, 2019
The adults were identified as Jordyn Freeman, 24, and Randy McMillin, 27, of West Portsmouth, Ohio. Both were under the influence of drugs.
Freeman and McMillin, who are engaged, were booked into the Bay County Jail on charges of child neglect, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The children were taken to the Department of Children and Families.
Child Abuse
An estimated 674,000 children were determined to be victims of maltreatment in 2017, according to the Department of Health & Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families. Of the victims, about 75 percent were neglected, 18 percent were physically abused, and 9 percent were sexually abused. Nationwide, an estimated 1,720 children died from abuse and neglect, a decline from the 1,750 children who died from the same in the previous year.
Officials said there was an increase in the number of referrals to Child Protective Services for an investigation but that there was a decline in the number of maltreatment cases, a phenomenon they will be probing
Of the abused children, 25 percent were younger than 1 year old. Another 52 percent were between 1 year old and 5 years old. The children who were killed by abuse or neglect were also overwhelmingly young, with about half of the fatalities being younger than 1 year old. Boys made up 58 percent of the deaths.
Perpetrators of abuse or neglect are most often in the 25 to 34 age range. More than four-fifths (83.4 percent) of the perpetrators were between 18 and 44 years old. Perpetrators were more likely to be female.
How to Report Suspected Child Maltreatment
If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected, contact your local child protective services office or law enforcement agency so officials can investigate and assess the situation. Most states have a number to call to report abuse or neglect.
To find out where to call, consult the State Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Numbers website.
The Childhelp organization can also provide crisis assistance and other counseling and referral services. Contact them at 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453).
“Every year more than 3.6 million referrals are made to child protection agencies involving more than 6.6 million children (a referral can include multiple children),” according to Childhelp.
