On a late morning that could have ended in tragedy, a small child slipped out of a Fruitland Park daycare, made it across the six-lane U.S. 27/441 corridor and wound up in the highway median before passing drivers jumped in to help, according to police. Fruitland Park officers later arrested 27-year-old daycare worker Halee Russo on a felony child-neglect charge and booked her into the Lake County Detention Center. The child's age was redacted from the police report. Investigators notified the child’s parents and the state child-welfare agency.
Scene on a busy stretch of U.S. 27
Fruitland Park police say they were called around 10:20 a.m. last Friday to reports of a child in the roadway at the intersection of U.S. 27 and U.S. 441. As reported by FOX 35 Orlando, that portion of the corridor has six high-speed lanes and a posted 50 mph limit. A motorist who saw the child running north made a U-turn and, with help from two other drivers, got the child to safety and took the child back to the nearby daycare. The arrest affidavit notes the child had reached the center median of the highway before being returned to the facility.
Daycare worker's account and arrest
The affidavit states that Russo, who the report notes had worked at the daycare since November 2024, initially told officers she ran after the child as soon as it slipped through the playground gate and that the entire incident lasted about five seconds. She later changed her story, admitting she had left the children unsupervised for several minutes and saying her manager "told her to lie, so the daycare wouldn't be closed," according to FOX 35 Orlando. The manager told police she did not know about any incident at the facility, and as of the report, no other employees had been charged.
What authorities will do
Police notified the child's parents and contacted the Florida Department of Children and Families, which typically opens a protective investigation when allegations involve supervision failures at licensed child-care centers. Under state law, licensing and enforcement authority for child-care facilities is set out in Chapter 402, which allows for inspections, complaint investigations and disciplinary actions that can include suspending or revoking a license. Details are outlined in Florida law (Chapter 402).
Legal implications
The arrest affidavit resulted in a felony neglect charge. Under Florida law, neglect that does not cause great bodily harm is generally treated as a third-degree felony, which can carry a sentence of up to five years in prison, while aggravated neglect that results in serious injury carries harsher penalties. The elements and possible penalties are laid out in the state's child-abuse and neglect statute, Florida Statutes §827.03. The charge is an allegation, and Russo is presumed innocent unless and until she is proven guilty in court.
Local context
The case lands at a time when Lake County families are already paying close attention to safety in schools and child-care settings. This spring included a May arrest of a teacher’s assistant after an incident involving a special-needs student. Background on that separate case is available from WFTV. Community members say they will be watching what the Department of Children and Families finds in its review and whether local prosecutors decide to pursue the neglect charge in court.
