Benjamin Ashford|Florida dad accused of throwing 10-year-old daughter out of car near busy highway

A Florida man was arrested on Benjamin AshfordTuesday after police said he threw his 10-year-old daughter out of his car in the night, court records show.  

The father was arrested around Scott Boulevard and West Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway in Kissimmee after several witnesses said they saw him throwing his daughter and her belongings out of the vehicle on July 30, according to the affidavit obtained by USA TODAY. 

Witnesses to the incident said around 12:40 a.m. they saw a man throw the 10-year-old and her toys at her from a silver Toyota Tundra and flee the scene. The girl was visibly upset and was crying as her father left her there, the affidavit said.  

The affidavit said one of the witnesses decided to follow the father after he fled the scene. The witness said the man was driving at a high-speed rate, failed to stop for several red lights and nearly collided with other drivers on the road. The witness called law enforcement to conduct a traffic stop on the man as he continued to follow him on the highway.  

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Deputies are dispatched to help the 10-year-old left by her father 

Around 12:47 a.m. deputies from the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a juvenile being left unattended in Kissimmee, the affidavit said.  

The affidavit said when a deputy arrived, the 10-year-old girl approached the patrol car. The deputy said the girl was, “visibly distraught; her face was red, and she was actively crying.” She told the deputy that her father dropped her off in the area and she was walking to her grandparents' house, but her father took her phone before leaving her in the area.  

The 10-year-old girl was returned to her grandparents' home and deputies informed them of the incident, the affidavit said.  

Father tells deputies about incident with daughter  

After conducting a traffic stop, the man was read his Miranda Rights, the affidavit said. 

The affidavit said that the man told responding deputies that he had a verbal agreement with his daughter's grandparents regarding visitation. His daughter lives with the grandparents, and they sent a text message to him around 12:00 a.m. on Tuesday. In one of the messages the grandparents said that, “if he did not return (their granddaughter) to the residence, they would involve law enforcement.” 

The man then told deputies that he left his daughter in the area and told her to walk to her grandparents’ house which is approximately a 21-minute walk, the affidavit said. 

Florida father is facing charges  

According to records in the Osceola County Corrections database, the man is facing the following felony charge:  

• 1 count of child neglect with great bodily harm  

The Florida father’s bond is set at $5,000. A next court date has not been set.  

USA TODAY reached out to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office for comment but have not heard back.

Ahjané Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjané covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy stories. Email her at [email protected]. Follow her on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter) @forbesfineest.