Ocala mother charged after kids found alone during fire, accused of giving them sleep aids

Woman charged with child neglect after kids found alone

An Ocala mother was arrested this week after firefighters discovered her three children alone inside an apartment while responding to a nearby fire, authorities said.

OCALA, Fla. - An Ocala mother was arrested this week after firefighters discovered her three children alone inside an apartment while responding to a nearby fire, authorities said.

What we know:

Ocala Fire Rescue were called to an apartment on Wednesday morning at the Laurel Park apartment complex.

According to crews, a lithium-ion battery attached to an e-scooter ignited, leaving the apartment a charred mess. While officials were trying to evacuate the rest of the building, they found three small children home alone in a different apartment.

Monica Garza, 33, was arrested at the scene after crews had to force entry into her apartment to rescue her three sleeping children.

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According to records, Garza told investigators she left them home alone around 2 a.m. that morning. The fire started around 5 a.m. and crews were on scene for over an hour before Garza returned to the complex.

An arrest report from the Ocala Police Department states one of the children told investigators Garza gives them "special sauce" to sleep at night, and that sometimes she gives them a "purple pill" to make them sleepy while she gets "dressed up."

According to records, Garza told investigators she does occasionally give one of her children melatonin and has left them home alone before.

The children were taken into protective custody. Garza bonded out of jail Thursday night. FOX 35’s Hannah Mackenzie ran into her at the complex. She declined to provide a comment, although Garza’s mother said she is "very sad" about the incident.

What we don't know:

It remains unclear exactly what substances Garza may have given her children. Garza admitted to giving one child melatonin but denied anything stronger. 

What's next:

Garza is charged with three counts of child neglect without causing bodily harm. Her next court date is October 7.

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