Former day care owner to accept plea deal in death of 4-year-old boy

Jordan Coleman left in SUV for more than 2 hours in August 2012, police say

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A former day care owner charged in the death of a 4-year-old boy who was left in the back of an SUV is expected to accept a plea deal next month.

A Broward County judge approved a delay for the plea hearing Tuesday for Cecily Roberts.

Police said Jordan Coleman was found unconscious in the back of the SUV on Aug. 1, 2012, more than two hours after the vehicle arriving at an apartment complex in Tamarac.

Jordan was taken to a hospital, where he died.

Authorities said Roberts owned the 3C's Daycare in Sunrise at the time and told her employees to take Jordan and seven other children to the Tamarac apartment complex.

"It's just you know, tragic to not come home and see your son, to hear him say, 'Hey mom,' or, you know, get that last kiss before he leaves. It's real heartbreaking," Jordan's mother, Fantasia Goldson, told Local 10 News shortly after the incident.

An attorney for Roberts told the judge that she agreed to the plea deal, but the judge decided to delay the hearing until Jordan's parents can be present.

"I do want to give the family the opportunity to come and observe, and if they want to say something to the court, but that shouldn't take a lot of time," the attorney said.

If the plea deal is approved at next month's hearing, Roberts will be sentenced to five years in prison with credit for time served.

Roberts has also been dealing with federal courts as she was recently convicted for her involvement in illegally receiving payments from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

She was sentenced last May to 33 months in prison, plus several more years of supervised release.