The Florida mom who allegedly “abandoned” her four kids at home for a five-day Las Vegas excursion faces up to 20 years behind bars and potentially even more legal consequences — even though there are no hard and fast laws in the Sunshine State for leaving kids unsupervised, experts say.
uncertain
experts → abandon → kids
Irene Miller, 50, was slapped with four counts of third-degree felony child endangerment without bodily harm after her unattended kids — aged 9, 11, 12, and 14 — called 911 when the youngest was injured by a dumbbell in their Kissimmee home last week, according to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office.
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youngest → slap → Office
The photographer mom, who was working across the country at the time, later told deputies that a babysitter checked in on the kids before and after school every day she was away.
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she → work → day
Although Florida law does not specify the age in which a child can be left alone, a Miami-based family lawyer told The Post that Miller’s decision was a “recipe for disaster.”
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decision → specify → disaster
“You obviously can’t be leaving four young children alone for hours and overnight for days on end … that is classis neglect,” Evan Marks said.
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Marks → leave → end
“Those children were definitely abandoned … and the state has an interest in making sure that those kinds of circumstances do not happen — because they’re a recipe for disaster,” he added.
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he → abandon → disaster
The charges against Miller — she was arrested on Friday — technically arise from a Florida statute that “stems from a caregiver’s willful failure or omission to provide necessary care, supervision, food, shelter, or medical services, or failure to protect a child from harm,” family lawyer John Lambros said.
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Lambros → arrest → harm
Federal guidelines, meanwhile, say kids should not be left alone under the age of 12 — and children under 15 should not be left to supervise younger siblings.
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children → say → siblings
Not only does each count against her carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison, the state Department of Children and Families will “undoubtedly” do a deep dive into the overall “welfare of the children,” added Lambros, who practices law in Florida, New York and Massachusetts.
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who → carry → Florida
The case will also “greatly impact” the mom’s fresh bid for a divorce from her allegedly abusive husband and the children’s father, Mark Miller, according to Lambros and court documents reviewed by The Post.
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case → impact → Post
The amount of time she’ll be allowed to spend with her kids and her level of parental responsibility could become “suspended, supervised or progressively developed,” he said.
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he → allow → responsibility
Mark Miller, 53, was charged with criminal battery and hit with a restraining order after he allegedly smacked his wife’s phone out of her hand during a heated discussion outside of the kids’ school in August, according to a police report.
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he → charge → report
Though the restraining order stated that a court hearing was necessary to determine whether he would be allowed to have contact with the kids, the father agreed to take them home Friday – while their mother was booked into Orange County Jail after returning to Florida, cops said.
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cops → state → Florida
The case has since sparked a fierce debate about parenthood, and at what age children can reasonably be allowed to look after themselves.
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children → spark → themselves
“I feel like I’m a pretty helicopterY [sic] parent, yet I don’t see a problem with this,” one Facebook user wrote in the comments section of a post about the case Tuesday.
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user → feel → case
“The children had an adult check they got TO school, and HOME from school…
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they → have → school
I have a 14 year old that I trust 100% to fly solo and also be a voice of reason to her brothers.
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I → have → brothers
They have phones to call for help,” she continued.
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she → have → help
“I wouldn’t call it neglectful or dangerous.”
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I → call → it
Another commenter agreed: “I don’t get this. …
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I → agree → this
“As for the accident with the dumbbell, that could happen even with the parents are home [sic]!
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parents → happen → dumbbell
And it appears that the one juvenile did the absolute best thing when the sibling was injured … by calling 911,” they wrote.
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they → appear → 911
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Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.
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Report → start → news
Meanwhile, others have ripped Irene Miller for being negligent – and even heartless.
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others → rip → Miller
“As a mom of two boys, I can’t imagine boarding a plane without knowing my kids were safe and cared for.
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kids → imagine → plane
If this is true, those four children deserve so much better.
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children → deserve → better
Praying they’re in good hands now,” one woman wrote on X.
Irene Miller was released from jail on $4,000 surety bond Saturday.
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Miller → pray → bond
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