A Florida mother could face prison time after allegedly abandoning her two young children in an Uber for hours while intoxicated.
As reported by WPLG, the incident happened on Friday, February 13. Newly released bodycam footage shows Sunrise police officers responding to Northwest 50th Street after an Uber driver called 911 about two children left in his vehicle.
The driver, who has not been publicly identified, told officers he had picked up 32-year-old Emily Sabogal and her children, ages 3 and 4, from a nearby shopping plaza. According to investigators, the family had been at Bob G’s Wings N’ Things on Commercial Boulevard, where employees claimed Sabogal left the children unsupervised while she consumed multiple alcoholic drinks at the bar.
Florida Police said Sabogal entered the Uber carrying a container of liquor. During the ride, she allegedly grabbed the driver’s phone from the center console, canceled the trip, and handed him $10 in cash before instructing him to stop near Northwest 108th Avenue and 50th Street.
According to authorities, Sabogal exited the vehicle and told the driver she would return shortly, leaving the children behind. After waiting roughly an hour, the driver contacted her by phone. She reportedly claimed she would be back within minutes, but another hour passed without her returning. After several unanswered calls, the driver contacted the police.
Bodycam footage released by authorities shows officers speaking with the children, who appeared unharmed and in relatively good spirits despite the situation. Sabogal was later located several miles away, walking near a McDonald’s.
When questioned by police, Sabogal allegedly claimed her phone had died, according to NBC6. She also told officers, “I have to make [expletive] happen for both of them. I know it sounds stupid right now, but I don’t have a car. My kids are everything to me.”
The children’s father later told reporters he is “very concerned” for their safety and plans to pursue full custody, claiming this was not the first time Sabogal had behaved erratically.
Online reaction from Florida locals to the incident was overwhelmingly critical. “What a loser. I hope the dad gets full custody,” one commenter wrote. Another added, “To leave your kids with a total stranger???? They’re so fortunate he was a good guy!”
Sabogal was arrested and charged with child neglect and abandonment. She later posted a $3,000 bond and was released from jail. If convicted, she could face up to five years in prison on the neglect charge alone, though authorities confirmed the children were not physically harmed.
