In a disturbing incident, a Florida mother, Jessica Renteria, was arrested after leaving her three-year-old son alone in their apartment while she went to get plastic surgery. The 25-year-old mother now faces charges of child neglect stemming from the June 27 incident, told Law and Crime.
The situation unfolded when concerned tenants at Renteria’s apartment complex in Doral noticed the young child wandering around the complex alone. Alarmed by the sight of the unsupervised toddler, they quickly contacted the police. Officers arrived on the scene around 4:15 p.m., and bodycam footage from the incident shows their efforts to find the child’s mother.
“Hey, little buddy, what’s your name?” an officer gently asked the child. “Do you know where papi and mami are?” But the toddler, too young to provide much information, could only look back with innocent confusion, reported by the Daily Mail.
Determined to locate the child’s parents, the officers knocked on several apartment doors, asking residents if they were missing a child. “Hello, by any chance, are you missing a kid?” one officer inquired of a man at one of the doors. As the search continued, a tenant drew a grim comparison to a previous case, remarking, “This is like the girl, the lady, that left her daughter to go on vacation.” A neighbor nodded in agreement, adding, “Yes.”
The investigation eventually led police to a cosmetic surgery center just a few miles away. There, they found Renteria, still dressed in a surgical robe and head wrap, recovering from her procedure. When confronted, Renteria claimed that a friend was supposed to be watching her son. However, when police contacted the friend, he denied having any knowledge of being asked to care for the child.
The shocking discovery revealed that the boy had been left alone for six hours. During that time, one tenant had found him sleeping in a corner of the apartment complex, a heartbreaking sight that underscored the gravity of the situation.
Renteria was immediately arrested and taken to jail, still clad in her post-surgery attire. Her trial is scheduled for December 2, where she will face the serious charge of child neglect. This incident has drawn comparisons to a similar case in Houston earlier this year, where a mother left her children alone to go on a cruise. The case has sparked outrage and concern over the safety and well-being of children left in such vulnerable situations.
The case took a grim twist on Thursday morning when Fogle was arrested in Orangeburg, South Carolina. The arrest followed a warrant served at a residence on Broughton Street. Authorities quickly moved to transport Fogle back to Myrtle Beach, where he is expected to appear in magistrate court on Friday.
Whiteside’s disappearance had left her family and friends in distress for over a year. The Horry County Coroner’s Office confirmed that she was last seen in the spring of 2022. According to Myrtle Beach police, Whiteside and Fogle had been living together at the time of her disappearance.
The investigation gained momentum earlier in the week when police connected Fogle to a missing persons case and an incident that occurred on May 11, 2022, on 1st Avenue South. “Due to statements made by her neighbors, there was reason to believe that she may have been buried near the residence, in the backyard under a firepit,” police revealed in a Facebook post.
Acting on this lead, authorities obtained a warrant and searched the property on June 12, where they made the grim discovery. Whiteside’s remains were carefully recovered from beneath the firepit, bringing a heartbreaking end to the search for the missing woman.
“This is a tragic loss of life and a senseless crime of violence,” Myrtle Beach police stated, expressing their sorrow over the outcome. “Please continue to pray for the family and friends of the victim.”
The case has shocked both the Myrtle Beach and Orangeburg communities, located about 140 miles apart. The U.S. Marshals Service—Carolina’s Regional Fugitive Task Force, along with the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety, played crucial roles in assisting with the investigation that led to Fogle’s arrest.
As the investigation continues, the community is left grappling with the devastating reality of a senseless act of violence that took the life of a woman who had once been full of life and promise.