A Florida woman has been charged with child abuse and child neglect after police said she chained her teenage daughter to a fence outside a Hialeah home and left her there for nearly an hour.
Yashira Marie Maldonado, 34, was arrested Saturday after officers responded at about 10 a.m. to a reported disturbance in the 300 block of West 63rd Street. Authorities said they found the 13-year-old girl secured to the fence with a metal chain around her waist. She had no food, water, or protection from the sun, according to the arrest affidavit.
Investigators said surveillance footage from a nearby property showed Maldonado arriving roughly an hour before officers reached the scene. The video allegedly captured her placing the chain around the girl and attaching it to a fence outside a home occupied by Maldonado’s mother and grandmother before driving away.
The footage reportedly showed that the teenager was unable to move freely after the chain had been fastened around her waist. According to the affidavit, Maldonado later sent her grandmother a text that read, “I got fired from my job!!!!” and told her the teenager was outside.
The grandmother discovered the girl chained to the fence and attempted to release her but was unable to do so. Police said the grandmother did not immediately contact authorities because she feared being evicted from the apartment. Maldonado’s mother also tried to reach her daughter and went to her home, but Maldonado did not initially respond.
Officers eventually freed the teenager, who was found in good health and did not appear to have suffered physical injuries. Authorities did not report any injuries requiring medical treatment. Maldonado was later taken into custody and questioned about the incident.
The affidavit said Maldonado admitted tying the girl to the fence. She allegedly told investigators that she had done so for the teenager’s “safety” and to stop her from leaving. Maldonado also said she left a backpack containing diapers and wipes with the girl.
Investigators said Maldonado told them she put her phone on silent after leaving because she did not want to be bothered. She then returned home, lay in bed and watched television, according to the affidavit.
“The defendant stated she knows what she did looks bad and is wrong,” cops wrote. Maldonado reportedly told officers she was “overwhelmed” by caring for the teenager and needed a “break.”
She was booked into the Miami-Dade jail on the two felony charges and was ordered held on a $10,000 bond. Reports indicated that she later posted bond and was released from custody.
Maldonado has pleaded not guilty. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 9. The allegations against her have not been proven in court.