JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A woman was arrested on a charge of child neglect after she said her car was stolen with her 4-month-old baby inside on Sunday night.
Isis Roberson, 22, was booked into the Duval County jail about 3:30 a.m. Monday, but was released later that day on $35,000 bond, according to online jail records.
After bonding out of jail, the Jacksonville mother shared her side of the story, saying she would never hurt her daughter, Selaine.
“I beat myself up first because I take her into the store every time with me. And the one time that I didn’t and I walked out (of) the store and my baby was gone," Roberson told News4Jax on Wednesday. "It's my first baby and I love her so much and I don’t want anyone to treat me like a criminal because I’m not. I just made a dumb mistake.”
According to an arrest report, Roberson, was buying cigars at the Moonshine Food Store on North Main Street late Sunday evening when her car was stolen with a child inside. A witness saw two men enter Roberson's car and drive off in it while Roberson was inside the store, the arrest report said.
Roberson said she was making a quick stop at the store and left her baby in the running car while she quickly went inside to make a purchase. In a matter of seconds, she said, her baby and the car were gone.
“I got out of the car. I didn’t bring her with me and I was watching the car and it was my turn to get whatever I needed and when I walked out of the store, the car was gone.”
Police said they found her car abandoned at a dead end on 30th Street. Roberson said her baby was locked inside.
“I just know the officer had to break the window to get her out and she was sweating pretty bad," she said.
Roberson said the 30 seconds she spent inside the store cost her a lot, and she will never let her baby out of her sight again.
“If you think you can leave your baby in the car for just a second, just don’t do it because then you get pinned with child neglect charges when you love your baby,” she said as she rocked her daughter to sleep in her arms.
Arraignment is set for June 18. Roberson said she will be working to prove to the judge that leaving her child in the car was an honest mistake.
Police have not announced whether any arrests have been made in connection with the car theft.