A photographer in Florida reportedly left her four children home alone for several days while she traveled to Las Vegas for work, during which time her 9-year-old son was injured by a falling dumbbell, according to law enforcement officials.
Irene Miller, 50, was arrested last week following a 911 call from one of her children, who said her brother had been hit in the head by the dumbbell. Emergency responders arrived at the home in Kissimmee, Florida, to find the kids—aged 9, 11, 12, and 14—unsupervised. The injured child was taken to a hospital, treated, and then released.
Authorities contacted Miller by phone, where she explained that she had left for her trip on October 18 and intended to return five days later.
Miller, who works as a professional photographer, appeared to be engaged with a client linked to a real estate company, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, based on her social media updates.
Upon speaking with deputies, she mentioned that a babysitter was supposed to come to her home to watch the kids before and after school; however, the babysitter would not stay overnight.
The children’s father was then contacted and took them to his residence, according to police.
Bodycam footage revealed that as her flight landed in Florida on Friday, police were there to arrest Miller. She was subsequently booked into the Orange County Jail on four counts of child neglect without great bodily harm.
In a statement, Sheriff Chris Blackmon emphasized that the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office does not tolerate child neglect. He affirmed that such cases will be thoroughly investigated, and legal action will be taken against parents who fail to supervise or care properly for their children.
