According to an arrest report, a Florida mom faces charges of aggravated child neglect and arson after her car caught fire while she was allegedly shoplifting at a mall.
An arrest report filed by the Oviedo Police Department on May 26 said Alicia Moore, 24, parked her vehicle in a parking lot outside a Dillard's department store at Oviedo Mall. Moore left children in the vehicle. Their names and ages have not been revealed.
Florida Mom Charged with Child Neglect, Arson
HOLLYWOOD, FLORIDA - MAY 29: Law enforcement officers are seen on a crime scene as they respond to a shooting at Hollywood Beach on May 29, 2023 in Hollywood, Florida. At least nine people were hospitalized Monday after an altercation ended in gunfire near the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk; the victims were taken to Memorial Regional Hospital and Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital. (not the actual photo)
According to the allegation, Moore and an unknown male were caught shoplifting at Dillard's by security. Moore began leaving Dillard's after approximately an hour to see her vehicle engulfed in flames and dropped the merchandise before leaving the store, as per NBC Miami.
The mall's bystanders spotted the vehicle and evacuated the children inside who were attempting to escape the conflagration. The children were transported to the Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Children's Hospital. The face and ears of one child were burned to the first degree, according to the arrest report.
Moore has been charged with aggravated child neglect for allegedly allowing children who could not care for themselves alone in the vehicle. The police stated that they do not know what caused the fire, but it is unlikely that the children would have been injured if Moore had not been "negligent."
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Suspect's Child Sustained First Degree Burns
Moore was charged with arson because the fire occurred while she was purportedly perpetrating a felony. Moore was represented by the public defender's office, according to court documents.
Unknown age children of the Orlando resident survived the fire, but one of them sustained first-degree burns, according to records obtained by NBC News. Moore reportedly abandoned the merchandise and escaped the department store after discovering that her vehicle was engulfed in flames.
Thanks to the assistance of bystanders, both children were eventually able to escape the smoldering vehicle and receive treatment at a nearby hospital. Additionally, the arrest report states that one of Moore's daughters suffered multiple first-degree burns on her face and ears before escaping.
Police apprehended Moore on a warrant unrelated to the Oviedo Mall incident and charged her with arson and aggravated child neglect. Moore contributed to the injuries her children sustained because, according to the arrest report, "the fire occurred while Moore was committing a felony."
Friday, Moore entered a not-guilty plea. Per PEOPLE, Moore's bond has been set at $20,000 and her arraignment is scheduled for June 27.
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