NORTH MIAMI, Fla. – A 69-year-old man was arrested Wednesday after he dropped off his kids in the playground area of a Burger King in North Miami and then left, authorities said.
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According to an arrest report from the North Miami Police Department, the incident occurred Wednesday night at the Burger King located at 12790 NW Seventh Ave.
Police said the manager called police after noticing that two young kids were alone in the playground area with no adult present.
A responding officer said the children, ages 4 and 9, were found in a “dirty state,” said they were thirsty and claimed that their father had told them that they could play there for 10 more minutes.
They were given juice at the restaurant before their father, Yves Benjamin, returned, authorities confirmed.
According to police, Benjamin returned to the fast food restaurant at 8:05 p.m., and surveillance video showed he had left at 7:28 p.m.
He claimed he had asked a “random” adult there to watch his children, but each adult inside the restaurant confirmed they had not been approached by Benjamin, the report stated.
According to the report, Benjamin “failed to provide necessary care, supervision, food, or water” for his kids during his absence.
He was arrested on a child neglect charge.
As of Thursday morning, Benjamin was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center where online jail records listed his bond as “to be set.”