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South Miami Mother Jailed on $20,000 Bond After Nonverbal 5-Year-Old Found Alone at Family Dollar Twice in Four Days
Jasmine Shalese Greer, 37, was arrested on a child neglect charge after her 5-year-old daughter with autism was discovered unsupervised at a South Miami Family Dollar on two occasions last week. State child welfare officials have taken custody of Greer's three daughters.
SOUTH MIAMI â A 37-year-old mother is being held on a $20,000 bond after police say her 5-year-old daughter, who has autism and is nonverbal, was found wandering alone inside a South Miami Family Dollar store twice within four days.
Jasmine Shalese Greer was arrested Tuesday on a charge of child neglect without great bodily harm, according to the South Miami Police Department. She appeared in bond court Wednesday, where a judge set the $20,000 bond and ordered that, if she is released, she must stay away from her 5-year-old daughter and may not possess weapons or ammunition.
The first incident unfolded shortly after 1:15 p.m. last Friday, when officers were called to the Family Dollar at 5978 SW 64th St. after the child was discovered inside the store without adult supervision. Police said the girl was wearing a soiled diaper and could not communicate with the responding officers.
While officers were assisting the child, a cellphone she was carrying rang. Investigators said the caller was Greer, who was trying to locate her daughter. When Greer arrived at the store, she told officers she had been cleaning her apartment when she realized the girl was missing, and that she had gone to her apartment complex's leasing office to review surveillance footage in hopes of finding her.
Four days later, at about 12:43 p.m. Tuesday, police received another report involving the same child at the same store. According to authorities, the 5-year-old had again been found wandering the aisles unsupervised and was wearing a soiled diaper. A concerned citizen called police, but by the time officers arrived, Greer had already taken the girl from the store, police said.
Officers searched the surrounding area and eventually found Greer and her daughter inside a computer room in the lobby of their apartment complex. Police said the child was still wearing a soiled diaper when they located her.
Following the second incident, officers took Greer to the South Miami Police Department for questioning. According to investigators, she admitted she had failed to properly supervise her daughter and acknowledged that the girl had a history of wandering away from their apartment.
The Florida Department of Children and Families was notified after both incidents. After reviewing the circumstances, DCF took custody of Greer's three daughters, authorities confirmed.
In a written statement, the South Miami Police Department emphasized the responsibility of caregivers, particularly for children with special needs.
"The South Miami Police Department takes the safety and welfare of children in our community extremely seriously," the department said. "Parents and caregivers are responsible for ensuring that children, particularly those with special needs who may be unable to recognize or communicate potential dangers, receive appropriate supervision and care."
The case highlights the heightened risks faced by families of children with autism who are prone to wandering, a behavior sometimes called elopement. Advocates note that such children can slip away quickly and may not respond to their names or be able to ask for help, making close supervision and community awareness critical. For South Miami neighbors, the arrest and the removal of three children from a household raise difficult questions about how local support systems â from schools to social services â can better assist overwhelmed caregivers before a crisis escalates.
Greer's next court appearance has not been scheduled. It was not immediately clear whether she has an attorney.