A Miami-Dade County school bus driver has been arrested after authorities said she left a sleeping 6-year-old boy unattended on a school bus, allowing him to wander through a Southwest Miami-Dade neighborhood before being found by a Good Samaritan, reported WSVN News.
Patricia Barberena, 62, was taken into custody Tuesday and charged with child neglect, according to the news report. Authorities said the incident occurred after Barberena picked up the child from a day care facility and was supposed to transport him to school.
Investigators said via the article that the boy fell asleep during the ride and remained on the bus when it arrived at the school. Rather than conducting a post-route inspection, Barberena allegedly drove the bus to her residence, parked it and went inside without checking whether any students were still on board.
The child later woke up, exited the bus, and reportedly began walking through the neighborhood alone. Investigators estimated the wandering child was unsupervised for approximately 15 minutes before a passerby noticed him and contacted authorities.
School officials reportedly became aware of the situation when the child failed to arrive at school as expected. According to investigators, the school contacted Barberena after noticing the student was missing. Barberena then left her residence and began searching for the child.
During a post-Miranda interview with investigators, Barberena reportedly admitted she did not inspect the bus before leaving it parked at her home.
The child was safely located, and no injuries were reported. Barberena appeared in bond court following her arrest, where a judge found probable cause for the charge and set her bond at $2,500. It was not immediately clear whether Barberena remained employed following her arrest. The incident remains under investigation.
Written with assistance from AI.
Related: California Student Left Alone in Hot School Bus
Related: 6-Year-Old Left on School Bus for Hours
Related: Georgia Students Left on School Bus for Hours
Related: Florida Bus Driver Rescues 2-Year-old Wandering Alone
