An Florida father was charged with child neglect after police said he left his three children alone in a car at night while he hung out in a local bar.
Police said some of the patrons at Dr. B’s bar in Ocala, Fla. were so outraged at Joshua Delong’s alleged actions that they beat him up as soon as they found out.
“I think every citizen looks at this and goes, ‘Are you kidding me?,’” said Angy Scroble with the Ocala Police Department.
Heather Weiss was the one who discovered the three children, ages 7, 8 and 5, in the car alone after 1 a.m. Wednesday.
Weiss said the children were blowing the horn and screaming for their dad.
“They were scared. They were hot and had been in there for a long time,” Weiss said.
Weiss is also a parent and when she saw the children, she knew she had to act quickly.
“I have a 6-year-old son and there is now way I would ever put my son in a position like that. Seeing the way they looked and the fear in their eyes; it really bothered me,” she said.
Weiss and other witnesses got the children out of the car then found Delong, who they said was drunk and tried to drive away.
“There was a scuffle with unknown persons, knocking him to the ground unconscious,” Scroble said.
The suspect was taken to the hospital and was later arrested, and his children are staying with relatives.
Police said they don’t have much information on the people who injured Delong.
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