A Florida Uber Eats driver has been charged with child neglect after his young, nonverbal son, who has autism, was discovered wandering unclothed on a busy interstate ramp.
According to FOX 35 Orlando, Jeremy Rouse, 35, reportedly confessed to authorities that he realized his son was missing from the car but chose to continue his delivery route to maintain a high rating on Uber Eats.
The child, whose age has not been disclosed, was fortunately saved by two passersby before he could step into the bustling traffic lanes of Interstate 4 in Altamonte Springs.
“I was running pretty fast,” said Jamie Cabell, one of the rescuers, in an interview with the local news station. “Anything could have happened in a matter of seconds with cars zooming by.”
Jeremy Rouse, aged 35, is now facing child neglect charges following the incident that occurred on October 16, 2024, in Altamonte Springs, Florida.
Alexandre Thomas-Brown, the second bystander, described the tense moments, saying, “It felt like a quarter-mile sprint, but I was determined to catch the child. I couldn’t let him run into traffic; I had to save him.”
The area in Altamonte Springs, Fla., and Interstate 4, where the young, nonverbal special needs boy was found by two good Samaritans. (FOX 35 Orlando)
The boy’s mother reportedly told police she had fallen asleep in the passenger seat while Rouse was doing food deliveries, according to local WESH.
Once she woke up, she realized the car was way too quiet, turned around to look for the boy and realized he was missing from his seat.
The age of the autistic young boy found wandering naked was not publicly released. (FOX 35 Orlando)
Police told FOX 35 Rouse said he did not stop his car because he was fearful of being arrested on charges if he returned to the scene.
Fox News Digital reached out to both the Altamonte Springs Police Department and Uber Eats.
