Patricia Anne Bronson, Tampa, Florida lawyer arrested on child neglect charges after leaving two young children alone on a beach for up to 45 minutes, so she could park car. Vape pen found on her possession.
A Florida attorney is facing felony child neglect charges for allegedly leaving two young girls alone on the beach for at least 30 minutes, with the younger child, a 3 year old, wandering into the water by herself.
Patricia Anne Bronson, 41, of Clearwater, was arrested on Saturday and charged with two counts of neglect of a child without great bodily harm, according to Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office online booking records.
The charge is a third-degree felony.
Lawyer claimed she was ‘parking car’
Witnesses told of seeing Bronson drop off the girls — ages 3 and 7 — at Upham Beach Park in St. Pete Beach, the Tampa Bay Times reported. An arrest report referred to Bronson as a ‘caregiver’ to the children.
It remained unclear if the attorney is related to the pair or was watching them for a relative or acquaintance.
The sheriff’s office stated that the witness asked the 7-year-old girl where her sister was, and the child pointed to the water. The 3-year-old was found in ‘waist-deep’ water by herself.
Bronson, who is an attorney in Tampa, allegedly left the children alone between 30 and 45 minutes, according to an arrest report. Bronson told deputies she was ‘parking the car’ and conceded that no one was watching the children.
Bronson is employed by White & Case LLP, an international law firm with a location in Tampa, according to the arrest report. According to the Florida Bar website, she is listed as an attorney for White & Case LLP.
A spokesperson for White & Case LLP upon being notified of their employee’s arrest said they would look into the matter, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
Deputies added a third-degree charge of introducing/possessing contraband in a county detention facility when Bronson was booked into the Pinellas County Jail, online booking records show.
Deputies said they found a small vape pen containing a liquid substance after Bronson walked through an X-ray machine, the Times reported.
Bronson was released after posting $15,000 on Sunday, according to online booking records. It remained unclear if she continued to be employed by her recent employer.
