By Shawn Henry 
A Florida tow truck driver was released on bond Monday night after authorities accused him of towing a vehicle with a 4-year-old girl still inside, an incident that police say ended with the child falling onto a busy roadway.
Sergio Suarez appeared in court earlier Monday, hours after investigators said the incident unfolded outside a restaurant in Sunrise. According to police, the child’s father had parked his car in front of the restaurant and went inside briefly, leaving his daughter in the vehicle. Court documents indicate the car was unattended for about two minutes before Suarez began towing it.
Detectives said the father noticed the tow in progress and ran outside, attempting to stop Suarez. Police reports state the father banged on the driver’s side window and repeatedly yelled that his daughter was still inside the car. Despite those warnings, authorities allege Suarez drove away from the parking lot and onto a nearby main road.
The father then chased after the tow truck on foot, continuing to shout, according to the report. Moments later, he saw his daughter fall out of the vehicle and onto West Oakland Park Boulevard. Police said the father ran into traffic, retrieved the child from the roadway, and moved her to safety.
@abc11news Driver charged after allegedly towing a car with a four-year-old girl inside forcing her to jump out to escape #tow #child #escape #florida ♬ original sound – ABC11
Investigators said Suarez continued driving after the child fell from the car. Sunrise Fire Rescue responded and transported the girl to Broward Health Medical Center. Officials reported she suffered minor injuries to both arms and her right calf and was taken for further evaluation.
Authorities later contacted All-Ways Towing & Storage and asked Suarez to return to the scene. Police said when he arrived, he attempted to quickly drop off the vehicle away from officers and tried to leave the area. He was arrested shortly afterward and charged with child neglect without great bodily harm.
During bond court proceedings, Suarez’s attorney disputed the allegations, stating Suarez claimed he checked the vehicle multiple times before towing and that a second employee also inspected the car. The attorney said Suarez maintained there was no child inside at the time.
The judge ordered Suarez to avoid contact with the victim and prohibited him from driving until further notice.
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