Marathon woman accused of leaving son, 3, at home while she went grocery shopping

Witnesses reported seeing boy screaming, leaning close to window

MARATHON, Fla. – A Marathon woman was arrested Sunday after she left her 3-year-old son home alone while she went grocery shopping, authorities said.

Catarina Tzarax, 23, faces a charge of child neglect without causing bodily harm. 

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According to Monroe County Sheriff's Office spokesman Adam Linhardt, authorities went to Tzarax's home in the 1100 block of 74th Street after two witnesses told deputies they heard a child screaming and saw the boy leaning "perilously close" to a window. 

Linhardt said the witnesses called 911 because they feared the boy might fall out of the window.

According to Linhardt, the witnesses had knocked on the front door to the home, but no one answered.

Linhardt said a deputy met with the boy's uncle at the home, who said he had just arrived home from work and didn't know the boy had been left alone.

Authorities said several other men were also found inside the home but said they had just arrived about 10 minutes prior.

Linhardt said deputies told the boy's uncle to call the child's mother, who returned home at 6 p.m., more than 30 minutes after he called her. 

Authorities said she claimed she left her son alone because she knew her brother would be arriving home shortly.
 


About the Author:

Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.