A tow truck driver has been charged after police say he towed a vehicle in Sunrise with a 4-year-old child still inside, an incident that was partially captured on surveillance video.
Sergio Suarez faces a charge of child neglect following the incident on Monday near the Bistro Creole restaurant, authorities said.
According to investigators, a man had briefly parked his car with his young daughter inside when the tow truck arrived. Surveillance footage shows the father returning as the vehicle was being hooked up and pulled away.
Video shows the father approaching the driver’s side of the tow truck as it begins moving. Witnesses can be heard shouting that a child was inside the car, and the father appears to run after the truck as it drives off.
Prosecutors said the father was striking the truck’s window and yelling that his daughter was still in the vehicle, but the driver continued driving.
At some point, the child fell from the vehicle into a busy roadway, according to statements made in court. Officials said the girl is expected to recover.
Suarez’s attorney disputed the allegations, telling the court that his client checked the vehicle multiple times before towing it and did not see a child inside.
A judge set Suarez’s bond at $10,000.
