OCALA, FL (352today.com) – A man was arrested after deputies say he left two children unattended—one in a car and one in a store—while shopping at Walmart on SW Highway 200 in Ocala.
According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), deputies responded to a call on May 3 about an unattended child inside an unlocked vehicle. When they arrived, they found the child alone and paged the vehicle’s driver, later identified as Thomas Shaheen, to the front of the store.
Deputies learned that Shaheen had left one child in the car while shopping for about 40 minutes with another child, who was also later found alone inside the store.
During questioning, Shaheen gave conflicting explanations to deputies about the situation. He was arrested for child neglect and reportedly expressed confusion about why he was being taken into custody.
Authorities emphasized the serious risks of leaving children unattended in public places, especially in unlocked vehicles.
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