A story surfacing from the Sunshine State has a twist all its own, featuring a couple, a teenager, a precipitous roadside drop-off, and a bag full of handguns and cash. On a day that began like any other, a series of events unfolded along I-75 that are now subject to serious scrutiny and legal consequences. Bradley Leon Guerrero Santos, 36, and Roseanella Mendiola Borja, 35, have been accused of abandoning a teenage boy on the side of the interstate, only accompanied by an unexpected parting gift—an assortment of firearms and money.
The incident initially came to light when a North Port police officer responded to a 911 call concerning a suspicious male walking along the northbound shoulder of the highway near the Sumter Blvd. exit – as FOX 13 News reported. The 16-year-old, upon questioning, indicated that he had been traveling with the couple en route either to Guam or Idaho before expressing his desire not to continue, prompting the sudden expulsion from the vehicle. "Quickly into this trip, this journey to wherever, he said he didn't want to go," said Taylor, a police spokesperson, who remarked to the press that "And apparently, that was acceptable to these folks to pull over on the side of 75 and let him out. 'Okay, good luck, here's some bags.'"
Further information provided by Law&Crime added that the couple stands accused of child neglect. Santos faces an additional charge for allowing a minor to have unlawful possession of a firearm. Reports suggest that the juvenile was "initially reluctant to explain" his situation to the authorities. The day had commenced with the suspects packing bags in a frenzy post the teenager's school day. It ended with the instruction to "take care of the house", before the couple reportedly sped off leaving their charge in a vulnerable and precarious state.
The investigation progresses as the finer threads of this poorly woven tapestry come to light. An 8-year-old sibling's presence within the vehicle, at the time of the older teen's abandonment, was also reported by AZ Family.
