A bus driver in Miami/Dade County, Florida, is facing multiple charges after a boy was allegedly found wandering the streets near her home. As per the police, the boy had fallen asleep inside her bus and failed to get off at school.
As reported by WPLG, citing a Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office (MDSO) arrest report, the incident occurred on Tuesday, June 2. The driver was identified as 62-year-old Patricia Barberena.
According to the MDSO, Barberena picked up the six-year-old boy from his daycare during the morning. Then, she drove toward his school with the intention of dropping him off.
However, the boy had fallen asleep inside the bus, and Barberena, as per the police, didn’t notice. Thinking her bus was empty, she then drove home, left the bus, and entered her house.
Boy Found Wandering
The boy, of course, never got off the bus or arrived at school. Eventually, he woke up inside Barberena’s school bus, the report detailed.
The six-year-old woke up and exited the bus. Moments later, he began walking on Southwest 298th Terrace near 157th Avenue.
Eventually, a passerby noticed the boy and approached him. They would then call the MDSO, who immediately took action.
Bus Driver Realization
Meanwhile, the boy’s school contacted Barberena, who was inside her home. The school told her that the boy in question never arrived home.
Immediately, the 62-year-old bus driver went outside to check if the boy was still in her bus. Instead, she was met by responding MDSO deputies.
Barberena was transported to the South District Station in Cutler Bay. During questioning, she allegedly admitted to not inspecting the bus before driving home, therefore missing the sleeping child still in her bus.
Arrested and Charged
As a result of the questioning, Patricia Barberena was arrested. She is charged with child neglect without great bodily harm.
If convicted, she could spend up to five years behind bars. She could also receive a 5-year probation penalty and be ordered to pay up to $5,000 in fines.
“The defendant knowingly and willfully failed to provide her children with the care, supervision, and services necessary to maintain the child’s physical and mental health that a prudent person would consider essential for the well-being of a child,” the report read, as per NBC Miami.
Reportedly, she is being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. While jail records show that the bond is yet to be set, NBC Miami detailed that, after appearing before a judge, Barberena’s bond was set at $2,500.
It is unclear if Barberena is still employed by the school district as a bus driver.