Bus driver charged with child neglect after boy left on bus

A Florida school bus driver has been arrested and charged with felony child neglect after a six-year-old boy fell asleep on her bus, was left onboard, and later found wandering alone in a Miami-Dade neighborhood. The incident occurred on Tuesday, June 2.

Patricia Barberena, 62, was taken into custody following an investigation by the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office. According to arrest affidavits, Barberena had picked the boy up for his normal school route. The child fell asleep during the ride and did not disembark with the other students upon arrival at the school. Believing her drop-offs were complete, Barberena then drove the bus to her home, parked it nearby, and went inside.

Approximately 15 minutes later, the boy awoke alone on the parked bus. He managed to exit the vehicle and was found walking along Southwest 298th Terrace by a concerned passerby, who alerted authorities. The situation came to Barberena’s attention when the boy’s school contacted her to report he had never arrived. She went outside to search for him just as sheriff’s deputies were arriving on the scene. The child was located unharmed and was reunited with his father.

During questioning by investigators,...