Florida men gave up search for missing 5-year-old: Police
Share this @internewscast.com

Left: Craig Darnell Presley (Alachua County Sheriff’s Office). Right: Chadrick Rodell Smith Jr. (ACSO).

Two Florida men were arrested after they reportedly informed police that they had ceased the search for a missing 5-year-old boy in their care, who had run away and was found just as he was about to enter a busy street.

Craig Darnell Presley, aged 52, and Chadrick Rodell Smith Jr., aged 27, were detained over the weekend. They both face charges of neglect of a child without causing great bodily harm, as indicated by court records.

Officers responding to a call near an apartment complex on September 7 encountered a child alone, heading toward a busy street, based on a probable cause affidavit sourced by Law&Crime. Nearby teenagers who were unfamiliar with the child aided officers in retrieving the boy, who they said was pulled back from the street “just before a car drove by.”

The police interacted with the boy, who could provide his name and age but not his residence. A resident from the apartment complex identified the boy and helped officers find the child’s apartment number.

The officers accompanied the boy back to the apartment, discovering five more children there. The kids spoke to the officers, explaining that the 5-year-old “often ran off” and that “the adults at home searched for him before giving up and coming back,” with “one of them even falling asleep afterward.”

While the children were conversing with the officers, Presley emerged, looking disheveled and needing to hold up his “loose pants.” Despite his appearance, Presley allegedly refuted claims of having been asleep.

Officers soon got in touch with Smith, who allegedly confirmed that he and Presley were watching the children while two adults — the child’s mother and grandmother — were grocery shopping. Smith allegedly told police that after the child ran off, he looked for him, but when he “couldn’t find him, he returned home.” The officer said Smith “appeared unbothered” by the boy’s disappearance.

Both men said they had not contacted authorities or the other adults after the child went missing, police said. When the other adults returned to the apartment, they allegedly said that they had left the children in the care of Smith and Presley for about 30 minutes before the 5-year-old was found near the road.

As the two men rode to Alachua County Jail in police custody, Presley allegedly stated that he was only looking after his own five children and was not responsible for the 5-year-old.

Presley appeared before Judge Susan Miller-Jones, who ordered him to be released on his own recognizance after he pays an undisclosed amount in owed child support. Smith, who has two previous felony convictions, is being held in lieu of $25,000 bond. It was not immediately clear when the two were next scheduled to appear in court.

Police did not disclose the defendants’ relationship to the 5-year-old boy.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Caught on Camera: Car Thief’s Shocked Reaction to Discovering Sleeping Baby Inside

An alleged car thief in regional Victoria made a quick stop upon…

Fact Check: No Evidence Judge Referred to Lindsey Halligan as ‘Puppet’ in Comey Case

Left: Lindsey Halligan, Karoline Leavitt, Pam Bondi, Steve Witkoff and President Donald…

Ex-DOJ Attorney Faces Allegations of Obstructing Jack Smith Investigation: What You Need to Know

Inset bottom center: Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Windom leaves the U.S. District…

Neighbor Indicted in Murder Case of ‘King of the Hill’ Actor Jonathan Joss

A Texas grand jury brought charges on Monday against a man accused…

Ohio Man Captured in Canada Following Shocking Parental Murder Charges

In a chilling development, a 24-year-old man from Ohio has been apprehended…

Judge Appointed by Trump Declares Biden Administration’s Actions Unlawful: Legal Implications Unfold

President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Republican governors at Mar-a-Lago,…

Shocking Cruise Tragedy: Anna Kepner’s Brother Unknowingly Shares Cabin with Her Hidden Body

In a chilling development aboard the Carnival Horizon earlier this month, Anna…

Mother Accused of Medical Abuse After Toddler’s Frequent Hospital Stays

An Ohio mother has been brought to court, accused of persistently subjecting…

Authorities Report: Man Allegedly Shoots Girlfriend with Shotgun Following Dispute

Background: The 2400 block of Pennsylvania Street in Gary, Indiana (Google Maps).…

Massachusetts Serial Killer Faces New Charges: Accused of Two More Murders

A man from New England has been identified as a suspect in…

Employee Compelled to Do Pushups Found Guilty in CEO Murder Case

Left inset: Kaleb Charters (Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office). Right inset: Tushar…

Custody Hearing: Stepbrother, Named ‘Suspect’ in Teen’s Cruise Ship Death, Underwent Hospitalization Following Voyage

A teenager at the center of a probe into his stepsister’s tragic…