You see the headline and your stomach drops: a mother allegedly left her two young children in an Uber and paid the driver $10 to watch them before walking away. This article gives the essential facts you need to understand what happened, why police were called, and what charges followed.
As you move through the piece, expect a clear timeline of events, account of the bodycam confrontation, and how investigators describe the mother’s actions. You’ll also find context about possible contributing factors and the public reaction that followed, so you can judge the situation with the full picture.
Key Details of the Incident
The mother left her two young children inside an Uber while she walked away and later was found 2.2 miles away. Police arrested her on charges of child neglect and abandonment after the driver called 911.
Timeline of Events
The Uber driver picked up 32-year-old Emily Sabogal and her two children from a shopping plaza on West Commercial Boulevard around 11:00 p.m. He saw Sabogal holding a cup he believed contained alcohol and later said she repeatedly told him, “He thinks I’m stupid.”
While stopped, Sabogal reached over the center console, grabbed the driver’s phone and canceled the ride. She then gave him $10 in cash, asked him to stop near Northwest 108th Avenue and 50th Street, and told him she would return in three minutes. The driver waited; about an hour later he called her when she did not come back. Sabogal answered once, promised 12 more minutes, then hung up.
The driver called 911 when he could not reach her again. Police arrived to find the children hungry but in good spirits. Officers later located Sabogal walking near a McDonald’s about 2.2 miles from the drop-off point.
Emily Sabogal’s Actions
According to the arrest report, Sabogal behaved erratically and could not explain why she left her children with the driver or how she got to the McDonald’s. Staff at a local restaurant told officers she had been at the bar earlier that night and had consumed multiple alcoholic beverages while her children ran unsupervised.
Sabogal gave the driver $10 before exiting and repeatedly made short, conflicting promises about returning. When police questioned her, she failed to offer a coherent account of her actions or travel route. She was later booked on child neglect and abandonment charges and released after posting a $3,000 bond.
Uber Driver’s Response
The driver initially believed the cup Sabogal held contained liquor and reported feeling uneasy after she canceled the ride and left the children in his vehicle. He called Sabogal when she failed to return; after an hour and a failed second call, he dialed 911 to report the situation.
When police arrived, they found the children safe but in need of food and water. The driver cooperated with officers and provided his account for the arrest report. His decision to contact authorities prompted the police response that led to Sabogal’s eventual location and arrest.
Police Investigation and Arrest
Officers located the mother walking near a McDonald’s roughly 2.2 miles from where the ride ended, and the children were found safe inside the Uber after roughly two hours. The case record shows an arrest on charges of child neglect and unlawful child desertion, with bond posted afterward.
Sunrise Police Response
Sunrise police officers responded after an Uber driver called 911 around 11 p.m. reporting that a woman had exited his vehicle and left two young children inside. Officers went to the 10800 block of Northwest 50th Street and found the children in the car; they described the kids as hungry and thirsty but otherwise in good spirits.
Officers later located the woman, identified as 32-year-old Emily Sabogal, walking near a McDonald’s about 2.2 miles from the drop-off. The arrest report notes the driver believed she was intoxicated, that she cancelled the ride by grabbing the driver’s phone, and that she gave him $10 before leaving the vehicle.
Broward Sheriff’s Office Role
Though Sunrise Police led the initial response and arrest, the Broward County investigative units often coordinate on child-neglect reviews and welfare checks when cases involve potential ongoing risk. Broward Sheriff’s Office personnel commonly review arrest reports and may assist with follow-up interviews or custody concerns when a child’s safety is in question.
In this incident, records indicate interagency communication occurred after officers took the mother into custody. The father of the children expressed concern publicly and said he plans to pursue custody, which typically prompts checks by child-protective services and can involve Broward investigators reviewing past reports and coordinating next steps.
Body Camera Footage Insights
Body camera footage released by local news shows Sunrise officers confronting the woman and asking why she left the children in the Uber. In the video she tells officers her phone died and that she thought the kids were safe, while officers emphasize the driver had waited with them for about two hours.
The footage captures officers relaying details from the driver: that he believed she was holding a cup containing alcohol, and that she told him she would return in minutes but did not. The bodycam also documents the moment officers explain the children’s condition and the decision to arrest the woman on charges of child neglect and abandonment; she later posted a $3,000 bond.
Charges, Legal Outcomes, and Public Reactions
The case centers on allegations of child neglect, a criminal charge filed after two young children were left alone in a vehicle for hours. Law enforcement documented the children’s condition, the suspect’s behavior, and the timeline that led to an arrest.
Child Neglect and Associated Charges
Police charged the mother with neglect of a child without great bodily harm and desertion of a child after officers found the two kids alone in an Uber for roughly two hours. The neglect charge reflects the allegation that she failed to provide necessary supervision, creating a substantial risk to the children’s welfare even though officers reported the children showed no serious physical injury.
Reports indicate officers noted signs consistent with possible impairment — slurred speech and the smell of alcohol — which prosecutors may use to argue the mother’s state increased the danger. The legal classification (neglect without great bodily harm) typically carries misdemeanor or felony consequences depending on local statutes and prior record, so criminal exposure will depend on Broward County charging decisions and statutory thresholds.
Court Proceedings and Bond
In initial proceedings, the defendant appeared before a judge who set bond at $1,500 for each charge. She posted bond and was released pending further court dates, which moves the case into pretrial stage activity such as discovery, possible plea negotiations, or a trial setting.
Court filings and arrest reports will shape the prosecution’s strategy, including witness statements from the Uber driver and police observations. Defense counsel may argue lack of intent to abandon, temporary lapse in judgment, or challenge evidence of impairment. Upcoming hearings will address arraignment formalities, scheduling, and potential conditions of release ordered by the state court.
Community and Family Response
Family members expressed distress and frustration about the incident, with at least one parent publicly criticizing the decision to leave the children unattended. Neighbors and regular patrons of the restaurant where the mother reportedly drank have also reacted, noting familiarity with her presence there and raising concerns about recurring risky behavior.
Community response has included calls for accountability and better support for parents struggling with substance use or stress. Local discussion emphasizes child safety and the need for systems—social services, addiction resources, or family interventions—that could prevent repeat incidents rather than only relying on criminal penalties. For more reporting on the arrest and charges, see the local news coverage.
Background and Contributing Factors
Authorities say the incident followed several hours during which the mother and her children were at a local bar and restaurant, and that the mother left the children in a rideshare vehicle after giving the driver cash and saying she’d return shortly. Reports note signs of possible intoxication, confrontations with the driver, and later questioning about why she abandoned the kids.
Events at Bob G’s Wings N’ Things
Witnesses and staff at Bob G’s Wings N’ Things told police the woman had been at the establishment earlier the night she left the children in the Uber. Employees described the children running unsupervised while the adult consumed multiple alcoholic drinks at the bar. Those observations prompted staff interviews by officers who later filed an arrest report.
Police located the woman about 2.2 miles from the restaurant near a McDonald’s. The arrest report connects the earlier behavior at Bob G’s to the later episode in the rideshare, suggesting the restaurant interaction provides context for the neglect allegations.
Alleged Intoxication and Slurred Speech
The Uber driver reported seeing the woman holding a cup he believed contained alcohol and later told officers she repeatedly said, “He thinks I’m stupid,” in Spanish. The arrest report records that she reached for the driver’s phone and canceled the ride before paying him $10 and exiting the vehicle.
Officers and witnesses noted slurred speech and inability to explain how she got to the McDonald’s or why she left the children with a stranger. Those details form part of the probable-cause narrative and support charges of child neglect and abandonment.
Emily Sabogal’s Role as Primary Caregiver
Police identified the woman as Emily Sabogal, 32, who was listed as the parent responsible for the two children inside the Uber. The children told officers they were hungry and thirsty when first checked, though officers reported them in generally good spirits and health at that moment.
Sabogal’s father later told reporters he planned to seek full custody, citing previous erratic behavior. Sabogal was arrested on child neglect and abandonment charges and released after posting a $3,000 bond, according to the local arrest report.
More from Decluttering Mom:
