CLEARWATER, Fla. — An attorney in west-central Florida is accused of leaving two young children unattended near the shore of a Gulf of Mexico beach for at least 30 minutes, with the younger child allegedly wandering into the water by herself, authorities said.
Patricia Anne Bronson, 41, of Clearwater, was arrested on Saturday and charged with two counts of neglect of a child without great bodily harm, according to Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office online booking records.
The charge is a third-degree felony.
According to the sheriff’s office, witnesses saw Bronson drop off the girls -- ages 3 and 7 -- at Upham Beach Park in St. Pete Beach, the Tampa Bay Times reported. An arrest report referred to Bronson as a “caregiver” to the children, according to the newspaper.
Deputies said the younger child, a 3-year-old girl, was found in the water and that the woman who dropped the kids off left them there for at least a half-hour. https://t.co/5U5dlGwuwO
— Chris Tisch (@christisch1) October 11, 2023
The sheriff’s office stated that the witness asked the 7-year-old girl where her sister was, and the child pointed to the water. The 3-year-old was found in “waist-deep” water by herself, according to the newspaper.
Bronson, who is an attorney in Tampa, allegedly left the children alone between 30 and 45 minutes, according to an arrest report. The Times reported that she told deputies she was “parking the car” and confirmed that no one was watching the children.
Bronson is employed by White & Case LLP, an international law firm with a location in Tampa, according to the arrest report. According to the Florida Bar website, she is listed as an attorney for White & Case LLP.
Bronson declined to comment to the Times when reached by telephone. A spokesperson for White & Case LLP said they would look into the matter, according to the newspaper.
Deputies added a third-degree charge of introducing/possessing contraband in a county detention facility when Bronson was booked into the Pinellas County Jail, online booking records show.
Deputies said they found a small vape pen containing a liquid substance after Bronson walked through an X-ray machine, the Times reported.
Bronson was released after posting $15,000 on Sunday, according to online booking records.
