Florida dad abandons daughter, 10, on 'dangerous' Kissimmee road after late-night spat: sheriff

KISSIMMEE, Fla. - A Florida man is behind bars after deputies said he left his young daughter on the side of a road in Osceola County and took off overnight.

Hector Serrano, Jr., 30, was arrested and booked into the Osceola County jail on a child neglect charge, jail records show.

Shortly after midnight, Serrano was driving with his 10-year-old daughter when the two got into an argument, Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez told FOX 35 News.

Booking photo of Hector Serrano, Jr. (Credit: Osceola County Sheriff's Office)

Lopez said Serrano became upset with her and stopped in the middle of Highway 192 near Scotts Boulevard in Kissimmee and left her there. 

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"If anybody's familiar with that area in Kissimmee, it's a very heavily traveled roadway," Lopez said. "Very touristy, pretty dangerous. We get a lot of pedestrians hit by vehicles in that area."

That’s why, he says, when a group of people saw someone shove a little girl out of a car and drive off, they were concerned enough to call 911.

"It was later discovered that she was thrown out of the vehicle by her own father, because the grandparents were threatening to call law enforcement if he didn't drop her off. So he basically said, 'you know what? Get out and walk to your grandparents' house'", Lopez said.

The sheriff said that would’ve amounted to over a 20-minute walk. He called the behavior unacceptable and shameful.

The young girl was later located. 

"She was distraught at the time. She was crying, she was confused. She’s a 10-year-old little girl. It's after midnight hours and it's dark," Lopez said. 

Lopez hopes Serrano gets the help and therapy he needs in jail.