A Florida mom of four was met by Osceola County Sheriff’s deputies as she stepped off her plane on October 23, later ending up in handcuffs and booked into the Orange County jail. Her alleged offense? Leaving her four children home alone for nearly a week while she traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada, for a work trip.
A video shared by the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office pieced together 50-year-old Irene Miller’s arrest, from deputies meeting her as she got off her plane to booking her in jail.
Mom Who Left Children Home Alone For Nearly a Week For Vegas Work Trip Ends up Arrested
A new video shared by the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office shows the moments deputies approach mom of four Irene Miller right before she exits her plane to arrest her and charge her with several child neglect charges.
According to ABC 7 Eyewitness News, Miller traveled from Florida to Las Vegas for work on October 18, leaving her four children, ages 14, 12, 11, and 9, home alone and unsupervised. How did police learn about Miller leaving her young children home? One of them dialed 911 around 8:30 p.m. on October 21 to report that her 9-year-old brother was injured when a dumbbell fell on his head.
When police made their way to Miller’s residence, they found no adult present, and the 9-year-old boy was taken to Celebration Hospital. He was later released from the hospital, and the father agreed to take the children home.
Deputies were able to get in contact with Miller, who informed them she was in Las Vegas and would return on October 23. However, she probably did not expect to see them standing outside and waiting for her as she departed from Las Vegas and landed at Orlando International Airport that day. The video surveillance shared by the OCSO detectives later shows Miller calmly walking with deputies out of the airport, where she was later handcuffed and taken to jail.
Miller, a Kissimmee resident, is facing four counts of child neglect without great bodily harm.
Mom of Four Admits She Had a Babysitter to Check on Her Children
According to ABC 7 Eyewitness News, Miller informed deputies that her children were not entirely without supervision during her absence. She reportedly left on her trip on October 18 and said a babysitter would visit the home each morning to get the kids ready for school and return later to check on them.
However, Miller informed the babysitter that she was not required to stay overnight.
People who commented on the video shared on YouTube had mixed thoughts on Miller’s actions. “I was baby sitting kids when I was 10 for hours all the time and overnight when I was 15, it’s crazy that this is an arrestable offense,” someone wrote.
“Tbh, at those ages, in the 80s, we were left on weekends all of the time. And just two years later, I would emancipate and have my own place. I was the oldest of five,” another shared. “When I was a kid my mom would leave us in the care of our 13 year old sister… it was fine,” a person wrote.
“Sad situation. I hope the children’s father will be able to provide the support these children need,” a comment read.
Irene Miller: Florida Mom Left 4 Kids Home Alone During Vegas Work Trip, Cops Say