Who is Allison Daugherty? Florida mom arrested after abandoning toddler in running car to go swimming with sharks
BOKEELIA, FLORIDA: Allison Sarah Daugherty, a 41-year-old transient from Florida, has been arrested for child neglect after leaving a toddler in a running car while she went swimming in the ocean with the intention of "meeting sharks.”
Surveillance footage showed Daugherty treading water in a black bikini before being escorted to a nearby police vehicle.
Where did the incident take place?
The incident took place near Capt'n Con's Fish House, a waterfront diner in Bokeelia near Cape Coral.
Witnesses called the Lee County Sheriff's Office at around 10.27 am after noticing that Daugherty had left a toddler alone in a running vehicle with the air conditioning on while she went swimming.
Concerned individuals attempted to alert Daugherty to the presence of fishing hooks and sharks, but she responded by saying she didn't care and wanted to "get hooked" and "meet sharks".
After about twenty minutes, passersby noticed the child, who was wearing only a diaper, crawling around in the car. Deputies arrived at the scene, and Daugherty began swimming further from the coast.
Eventually, a Boca Grande Marine Unit brought her back to shore.
Was Allison Sarah Daugherty intoxicated?
Staff member Jenny Wray told NBC 2, "We called the sheriff’s office; she didn’t seem drunk. She didn’t seem intoxicated. Something was just off."
After her arrest, the staff provided lunch for the child while they waited for a family member to pick him up.
The child was described as sweet and well-behaved, seemingly oblivious to the events unfolding around him.
“He sat and ate and watched TV like oblivious to what was going on, thank god,” Wray said. "If it was me and that was the situation, I would want somebody to take my baby in and make sure he is safe."
Where is Allison Sarah Daugherty held?
Allison Sarah Daugherty has been booked at the Lee County Jail and charged with one count of child neglect for "leaving a child unattended in a motor vehicle for an excess of 15 minutes."
Her previous legal issues, including disputes over unpaid insurance and child support, suggest a history of legal challenges.
Additionally, her social media posts leading up to her arrest, which shifted from sharing family moments to increasingly incoherent content related to nebulas, meteors, and strange weather phenomena, raise concerns about her state of mind during that period.
The legal system will likely address the child neglect charge, and Daugherty's situation may also lead to considerations related to her mental health and overall circumstances.