A Two-Minute Absence, a Child Left Behind
A Florida tow truck driver was released on bond after being accused of towing away a vehicle with a 4-year-old girl still inside, an incident police say ended with the child falling onto a busy roadway. Sergio Suarez appeared in bond court Monday following the incident outside a restaurant in Sunrise. According to police, the child’s father had parked in front of the restaurant and stepped inside briefly, leaving his daughter in the car; court documents indicate the vehicle was unattended for roughly two minutes before Suarez allegedly began towing it.
Father Says He Tried to Stop the Tow
Detectives said the father noticed the tow already underway and ran outside, banging on the driver’s side window and yelling that his daughter was still inside. Despite those warnings, police allege Suarez continued driving away from the lot and onto a nearby main road.
@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
Child Falls Onto West Oakland Park Boulevard
According to the police report, the father chased the truck on foot while continuing to shout, and moments later watched his daughter fall from the vehicle onto West Oakland Park Boulevard. He reportedly ran into traffic to retrieve her and move her to safety. Investigators say Suarez kept driving even after the child fell from the car.
Child Taken to Hospital With Minor Injuries
Sunrise Fire Rescue responded and transported the girl to Broward Health Medical Center, where she was treated for minor injuries to both arms and her right calf and evaluated further. Authorities later contacted All-Ways Towing & Storage and asked Suarez to return to the scene. Police say that when he arrived, he attempted to quickly drop off the vehicle away from officers and tried to leave before being arrested and charged with child neglect without great bodily harm.
Defense Disputes the Allegations
During bond court proceedings, Suarez’s attorney pushed back on the allegations, stating that Suarez claimed he checked the vehicle multiple times before towing it and that a second employee also inspected the car. According to the attorney, Suarez maintains there was no child inside the vehicle at the time it was towed. The judge ordered Suarez to avoid contact with the child and barred him from driving until further notice. As with any pending criminal matter, Suarez is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.