Florida Woman Charged with Child Neglect at Universal CityWalk

A 33-year-old Florida woman faces child neglect charges after authorities say she left her 12-year-old daughter alone and crying at a bar in Universal CityWalk, an entertainment district adjacent to the Universal Orlando Resort, before heading to a nearby nightclub.

Amanda Laurel Thorpe of Lake Mary was arrested on March 7 around 10:30 p.m. by Orange County Sheriff's deputies, who responded to reports of a missing child at the CW Shoreline Bar. According to an arrest affidavit, Thorpe and her daughter had been at the bar earlier that evening when an argument erupted. Thorpe wanted to leave for the Red Coconut Club, another venue in the CityWalk complex, but her daughter said she was tired and preferred to return to their hotel room. The disagreement escalated, with Thorpe allegedly raising her middle finger and using an expletive toward the child before walking away alone.

Witnesses at the bar noticed the girl sitting by herself on a bar stool, visibly upset and crying, and alerted staff. Universal security personnel contacted deputies, who found the child still at the location. While officers spoke with her, other deputies searched the crowded district and located Thorpe on the...