Florida man Alexander Berrios, 22, of Crestview is sitting in the Okaloosa County jail after he had a 9-year old child drive him home.
The sheriff’s office stated that a witness observed a vehicle entering the roadway from a neighborhood and suspected the driver was impaired because the vehicle was “all over the roadway.” The suspect vehicle then cut of the witness’ vehicle near U.S. highway 85 and Old Bethel Road. It was there the witness noticed that the driver was a young child.
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Luckily, the witness got the child to pull the vehicle over and told the child to get in the passenger seat. He then pulled the car into the Tom Thumb convenience store parking lot.
The Sheriff’s Office stated that the 9-year-old told deputies that Berrios asked him to drive him home and gave him directions during the trip. The 9-year-old dropped off Berrios at his home, and then began driving alone back to his own home, before the witness stopped him.
A man asked a 9-year-old to drive him home. He is now facing a child neglect charge: https://t.co/MTjNIktOAI
— HoltEnterpriseNews (@EnterpriseHolt) October 11, 2022
Thankfully, a citizen intervened as the 9-year-old was driving back home alone after dropping off Alexander Berrios.
Berrios is jailed on a child neglect charge.https://t.co/ucFquJn4Ca
— WEAR ABC 3 (@weartv) October 11, 2022
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When Okaloosa County investigators caught up with Berrios and questioned him about the incident, Berrios told deputies his decision was a ‘mistake’ but wouldn’t explain any further.
Investigators contacted the child’s mother to find out if she could explain what was going on and she stated she was not aware the boy had left the home. According to the arrest affidavit, the mother told deputies Berrios was at her home the previous night drinking alcohol and stayed overnight. She realized in the morning both Berrios and her child were gone.
Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden had this to say about the incident:
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We want to express our sincere gratitude to the witness who noticed something was wrong and intervened, potentially preventing a tragedy involving a child.
Berrios was transported to the Okaloosa County Jail where he is being held without bond, charged with Child Neglect.
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