ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – A man and woman are facing charges of child neglect after a child in a soiled diaper was found wandering a heavily traveled road in St. Augustine, according to the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office.
Investigators determined the child had wandered nearly 150 yards from her home before a good Samaritan found her Sunday on Andora Street and called authorities. It's unclear how long the child had been in the street, but the report from the Sheriff's Office said it took deputes 30 minutes to locate the girl's parents.
The neighbor who found the child asked not to be identified.
"She looked at me, and she looked dazed," the neighbor said. “Nobody looked for that child, even after the police came. Nobody was looking for that child.”
Deputies arrested Candice Hinds, 36, and William Smith, 31. According to the report, they appeared to be intoxicated.
“This road is really busy all the time, so, I felt like God put me in the right place at the right time," the neighbor said.
When News4Jax visited Hinds' listed address, she said she was embarrassed and ashamed.
According to the Department of Children and Families, the child's grandmother is caring for her. Hinds and Smith were both charged with child neglect without bodily harm.