SUNNY ISLES BEACH, Fla. — A father was arrested Wednesday on a child neglect charge after his 4-year-old son was found wandering alone along Collins Avenue in Sunny Isles Beach, authorities said.

According to an arrest report from the Sunny Isles Beach Police Department, an officer was conducting a traffic stop near 17200 Collins Ave. at about 4 p.m. when a driver alerted the officer to a small child walking alone on the sidewalk.

The boy was walking north along the sidewalk parallel to Collins Avenue, police said. The officer reported that the boy had visible redness on his face and was carrying a half-eaten slice of pizza.

Police said the officer placed the child in a patrol vehicle while officers searched the surrounding area for his parents or guardians.

The officer showed the child’s photograph to several people before going to a nearby apartment complex on 174th Street in an attempt to identify him, the report stated.

According to the report, the officer later spotted a woman walking quickly outside the complex with a girl. The woman was identified as the boy’s mother and told police she was searching for her son, the report stated.

Police said she then contacted her husband, Semyon Levin, 63, who responded to the scene and told police the child had been under his supervision when he lost sight of him, the report states.

Investigators said Levin told them he had been eating at a nearby Starbucks at 17100 Collins Ave. with his son at about 3 p.m. when he lost sight of the boy.

Levin was then taken to the Sunny Isles Beach Police Department for further questioning.

According to the report, Levin waived his Miranda rights and told detectives during a recorded interview that he realized his son was missing but did not immediately contact police for help.

Investigators said Levin also told them that his 9-year-old and 7-year-old daughters had left Starbucks and walked home without an adult. Levin said he believed his son may have left with his 9-year-old sister, according to the report.

Police said Levin told detectives he frequently loses sight of the boy because his son has “too much energy,” making him difficult to keep track of.

When detectives asked why he did not call police after realizing the boy was missing, Levin said he did not believe the situation constituted an emergency, according to the report.

Investigators estimated the child was wandering alone for approximately one hour.

Police also alleged that Levin had opportunities to alert law enforcement after leaving Starbucks. According to the report, Levin saw an officer wearing a clearly marked police vest in the lobby of his apartment building, while an unmarked police vehicle with its emergency lights activated was outside. The officer was showing the child’s photograph to a security guard in the lobby at the time, authorities said.

Investigators concluded that Levin failed to provide the supervision and care required for his son and that his actions endangered the child’s safety and health.

Levin was arrested on a child neglect charge and transported to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center for processing.

As of Thursday morning, Levin remained jailed at TGK. Online jail records listed his bond as “to be set.”

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