Yashira Marie Maldonado was arrested in July, when the incident occurred, and was charged with felony counts of child abuse and child neglect. The footage, made public this week, shows officers arriving at the home, speaking with a woman and photographing the girl, whose image has been blurred.

According to an arrest report, Maldonado left the teenager chained to a fence at the efficiency where her mother lived. Investigators said surveillance video from the property shows Maldonado securing the girl to the fence before getting into her car and leaving.

Police said the teen remained chained in the July heat for over an hour. When officers located her, she was found to be in good health, authorities said.

The case adds to growing scrutiny of how child welfare systems and local law enforcement respond to abuse in Miami-Dade County, where summer heat indexes routinely climb into the triple digits. Child advocates have long warned that leaving a child restrained outdoors — even briefly — can quickly become life-threatening, particularly during South Florida's hottest months.

Maldonado's arrest report does not detail what prompted the incident, and it was not immediately clear whether she has entered a plea or retained an attorney. Court records in the case were not available Tuesday.

The charges against Maldonado carry potential prison time under Florida law, which classifies aggravated child abuse as a second-degree felony. The case remains pending.