Andrew Barry Gold, 43, was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail early Oct. 1 on four felony counts of child neglect, and court records show the case is pending, WPBF reported. The station said deputies responded to a domestic disturbance at a Boca Raton home on Sept. 30.
The four children were 11, 8 and 5 years old; two were 5. One of the 5-year-olds was from another family and had been left in the Golds’ care for a playdate, according to WPBF’s account of the case. Deputies determined the children had been left without appropriate adult care, the station reported, and Gold was charged with four counts of child neglect without great bodily harm.
The children’s mother had left for a class around 9 p.m., leaving them with her husband, WPBF reported. She later received calls from family members saying Gold had left with duffel bags. Their 11-year-old also reportedly called to say his father had gone and the family vehicle was no longer in the driveway. When the mother returned, she found the children alone. WPBF said investigators also noted a swimming pool on the property as a safety concern while no adult was supervising the children.
Florida guidance on leaving children home alone
Florida has no law setting a specific minimum age for staying home alone, according to the Miami Herald. The Herald describes guidance that children under 12 generally should not be left alone, and that children should not be responsible for siblings younger than 15. It also reports advice allowing a 12-year-old to stay alone for a few hours, while recommending only occasional, roughly 30-minute periods for children ages 8 or 9. WPBF likewise cites general guidance against leaving children younger than 12 unsupervised.
The case is described as four counts of child neglect without great bodily harm. The linked Florida statute is provided for reference, but the available statutory excerpt does not establish the full felony classification or penalties stated in the original article.
