Woman charged with leaving child unattended with marijuana in her car

A Sarasota woman was charged with child neglect after sleeping in a car parked at a gas pump and leaving a 1-year-old child unattended, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.

A Venice Wawa gas station employee found 30-year-old Kathryn Miller asleep behind the wheel of a car parked at gas pump 16, located at 2970 Executive Drive, around 11:30 p.m. Saturday. The child was in a car seat in the backseat, according to the sheriff’s office report.

A short time later, Miller then woke up, left the sleeping child inside the car and walked inside the gas station. After the sheriff’s office was called, the responding deputy asked Miller where the child was. She showed the deputy that the child was sleeping inside of the car.

As Miller opened the driver’s side door, the deputy reported a strong smell of marijuana coming from the car. A small mason jar with a large marijuana bud inside was in sight. After Miller refused the deputy’s orders to step away from the car, she was placed under arrest. In her bags were a plastic pill box and three small baggies of marijuana.

The Florida Department of Children and Families was notified and Miller was booked at the Sarasota County jail on charges of child neglect, possession of marijuana under 20 grams and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was released Sunday on a $6,000 bond.

This story was originally published February 21, 2017 at 1:26 PM with the headline "Woman charged with leaving child unattended with marijuana in her car."