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Mother charged with neglect after toddlers found wandering alone in Volusia County

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Published  May 21, 2025 12:40am EDT
Volusia County
FOX 35 Orlando
Mother charged after toddlers found wandering

Mother charged after toddlers found wandering

A Volusia County mother is facing child neglect charges after her three young children were found wandering alone along a busy street in Edgewater over the weekend.

The Brief

    • A Volusia County mother is charged with child neglect after her three toddlers were found walking unsupervised on a busy Edgewater street.
    • Neighbors intervened, calling 911 and shielding the children from potential harm.
    • Police say the mother left them home alone for nearly an hour while she went to the store.

EDGEWATER, Fla. - A Volusia County mother is facing child neglect charges after her three young children were found wandering alone along a busy street in Edgewater over the weekend.

What we know:

Ruby Mensah, 28, was arrested on Sunday in Edgewater, Florida, after her three young children — ages 4, 3, and 1 —were found walking alone on Woodland Drive. Police say Mensah left the children unsupervised for at least 48 minutes while she went to the store. The children were barefoot and, in one case, partially unclothed, drawing concern from neighbors who called 911.

What we don't know:

Authorities have not said whether Mensah has a prior history with child protective services. It’s also unclear whether she will face further legal consequences beyond the initial neglect charges or whether the children have been permanently removed from her custody. Officials did not say whether further investigation is ongoing.

The backstory:

The incident unfolded on a hot weekend afternoon when multiple residents spotted toddlers wandering separately along a busy residential street. The vehicle Mensah used lacked car seats, but another car at her residence was properly outfitted, raising further questions about her decision-making.

What they're saying:

Concerned residents called 911 and worked together to bring the toddlers to safety.

"One of them doesn’t have any pants on. The other one is maybe four or five," one caller told dispatchers. "And then I have a little girl, uh, wandering the middle of the street too. It’s hot out and her feet have got to be burning."

Edgewater police say Mensah left the children home alone for at least 48 minutes while she went to the store. 

"She shouldn’t have done that. Absolutely not," said neighbor Harold Anderson. "I would have watched the kids. A number of parents here would’ve watched the kids."

Neighbor Amy Lemon, who lives two doors down, said the outcome could have been tragic. 

"They could have been killed. They could have been run over by a car," she said.

What's next:

The children were taken into custody by the Florida Department of Children and Families. Mensah was charged with three counts of child neglect. She was released on bond hours after her arrest. 

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The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Edgewater Police Department, the Volusia County Sheriff's Office and Edgewater residents Harold Anderson and Amy Lemon.

Volusia CountyCrime and Public Safety