Mom In Strip Club Accused Of Leaving Child In Car For Hours

A little girl is in state custody after she was found wandering in a parking lot while her mother was inside a Lauderhill strip club.

Manouchicka Daniels is facing child neglect charges after she's accused of leaving the sleeping toddler in a parked car for more than three hours.

Lauderhill Police Lt. Mike Santiago says it appears the three-year-old somehow unlatched the door and got out.

A woman spotted the child feet from busy University Drive just before 2:00 a.m. and called 911.

Police Lt. Mike Santiago says the girl was clearly scared and confused, but "She warmed up to us really, really, really quick, and you could tell she just didn't want to let us go."

She was able to lead officers to a car with a back window cracked for ventilation. Inside it had a car seat and toys.

Detectives say Daniels emerged from Vegas Cabaret about a half-hour later and gave them conflicting stories. "She says she went to drop somebody off. Her phone was off. She lost power on her phone, but nothing that would indicate any type of responsibility, responsible parenting," according to Santiago.

She allegedly admitted to leaving the girl at about 11:00 p.m.

She was arrested. The child was taking into Child Protective Services' custody.

Officers know this could have had a much different outcome because even in the early morning hours, the parking lot is busy and so is University Drive. The car was parked up against the road, and "The only thing you had separating that car from University Drive, the roadway, was a very narrow sidewalk and a thin bush line."

Daniels' bond has been set at $5,000.


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