Irene Miller booked after deputies arrest her at airport
The 50-year-old mother faced four child neglect charges after leaving children unattended in Kissimmee during a Las Vegas work trip.
By Larissa Shah ·
Deputies handcuffed Irene Miller, 50, as she stepped off a plane in Florida on Friday morning. Authorities charged her with four counts of child neglect without great bodily harm and booked her into the Orange County Jail.
The investigation began at 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 21. Deputies responded to a Kissimmee home after one of Miller's children called 911. The child reported that a dumbbell had fallen on her 9-year-old brother's head. Officers found four children, ages 9, 11, 12, and 14, alone in the house. Fire rescue crews transported the injured boy to Celebration Hospital. He was treated and discharged.
Sheriff's deputies contacted Miller by phone that night. She stated she was working in Las Vegas and planned to return on Oct. 23. Records showed she had left Florida on Oct. 18. Miller explained that a babysitter from Tampa would arrive in the mornings to help the children get ready for school. The sitter checked on the kids afterward but was not required to stay overnight.
The children's father agreed to take all four to his home while detectives arranged the arrest. Body camera video shows officers approaching Miller at the airport terminal on Friday. They escorted her through the building and placed her in handcuffs.
Sheriff Chris Blackmon stated that the Osceola County Sheriff's Office will not tolerate child neglect. He added that the department investigates such cases and brings charges against parents who do not properly supervise or care for their children.
