Overview
- A witness found a 6‑year‑old boy alone at Town Center Park in Sunny Isles Beach and called 911 after the child said he was scared and had not eaten since breakfast on Saturday; the boy told officers his mother left him to get food with a friend.
- Police located and arrested Elena Sexton, 41, as she returned to the park on Aug. 15 and booked her into the Miami‑Dade jail before she posted a $2,500 bond and was released.
- Court records show Sexton pleaded not guilty on Aug. 17 and has demanded a jury trial on the single felony count of child neglect with no great bodily harm.
- The Sunny Isles Beach Police Department referred the case to the Florida Department of Children and Families for a protective investigation and officials have not publicly disclosed the child’s current custodial status.
- Under Florida law neglect is decided case by case based on factors such as the child’s age, maturity, how long they were unsupervised, and local hazards, and a conviction can carry prison time even when no serious injury occurred.