6-Year-Old Found Alone in Deltona Yard Leads to Arrests for Child Desertion

On April o4, 2025, around 4:30 p.m. Friday, deputies responded to a home near Vann Park in Deltona, where a woman saw a 6-year-old child and her dog wandering in her front yard, then found her sitting in a chair in her carport.

The girl said she was hot, thirsty and hungry, so the woman and a neighbor brought her food, water, toys and clean clothes. Deltona Fire Rescue responded to check her vitals and confirm she was OK.

Responding deputies learned the girl's mom and mom's boyfriend dropped her off in the area in the morning. They also learned she was homeless and does not attend school.

The little girl was taken to the Volusia Family Resource Center (VFRC), where her grandparents were identified and contacted to take custody. The VFRC is a full-scale assessment center that offers high-quality social services to juveniles and their families, and connects them with available resources and assistance.

Members of the Deltona Crime Suppression Team tracked down mom and boyfriend around 1 a.m. Saturday and took them into custody on charges of desertion of a child and abandonment of an animal.