Sarasota couple facing charges after they were found with pills, and their child was home alone

A Sarasota couple is facing felony charges after they left their 1-year-old child home alone and pills were found in their vehicle.

Sarasota County Sheriff’s deputies were approached by a Family Dollar employee during a traffic stop around 8:30 p.m. Sunday. The employee told deputies that she chased a woman from the North Washington Boulevard store who had stolen items, according to the probable cause affidavit.

A witness gave deputies a description of the suspect’s vehicle and deputies were able to track it down and conduct a traffic stop in a gas station parking lot at 3703 N. Washington Blvd. within minutes, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s office.

Deputies noticed the driver and passenger, later identified as Brandi Sparrow, 28, and Jarrod Sargent, 37, trying to hide something under their seats, according to the sheriff’s office.

Sparrow was detained. Sargent was still trying to put things under his seat as the deputy approached the passenger side of the vehicle. The deputy wrote in the affidavit that at that point, they could not see Sargent’s hands. The deputy drew his gun and started giving Sargent commands at gunpoint, according to the probable cause affidavit.

Sargent continued to ignore the deputy’s commands, so the deputy opened the car door where Sargent was seen still stuffing a pill bottle under the seat. The deputy put his gun away and detained Sargent, according to the affidavit.

When the couple got out, deputies found pill bottles in plain view inside a purse and under the passenger seat, according to the affidavit. A search of the car and purse revealed items reported stolen from the Family Dollar including deodorant, designer nails and nail glue totaling $10.17, along with bottles of Alprazolam - which was packaged in baggies inside the bottle - and Tramadol pills. A baggie of suspected heroin was also found in Sargent’s wallet.

Sparrow and Sargent were taken into custody. Sargent denied being involved in the theft.

While still at the scene, deputies were approached by a woman who said she was the roommate of Sparrow and Sargent at a home in the 9400 block of Hawksmoor Lane, according to a probable cause affidavit. She asked if the couple’s child, who is 1, was with them and deputies said the child was not.

The woman said Sparrow had asked her to watch the child around 5 p.m. and an hour later said she was at the entrance to the neighborhood and would be home in a few minutes. Sparrow reportedly told the woman she could leave since she would be home soon, according to the sheriff’s office. The child had been home alone for more than three hours.

Deputies went to Sparrow’s home to check on the child and found him to be okay, but crying, in the back bedroom with the door shut. However, the the home’s back door was open, the gas stove on and candles were burning in another room, according to the sheriff’s office.

The child is in the custody of relatives.

Sparrow and Sargent were both charged with child neglect, possession of Alprazolam with intent to sell and resisting arrest. Both were released Tuesday.

Sparrow also faces possession of Tramadol and petit theft along with a single count of possession of narcotic equipment.

The investigation is ongoing.