A Florida couple, Bradley Leon Guerrero Santos, 36, and Roseanella Mendola Borja, 35, are facing child neglect charges after allegedly leaving a minor on the side of a highway with bags filled with firearms and cash. The couple reportedly told the minor to “take care of the house” before they drove away. Santos is also being charged with allowing a minor to unlawfully possess a firearm.
The incident was brought to light on October 1, when police received 911 calls around 6 p.m. about a suspicious individual walking along the shoulder of Interstate 75 in North Port. Upon their arrival, officers discovered the minor, whose age and relationship to the accused are not disclosed in the affidavit. Initially reluctant, the minor eventually shared the unusual series of events that led to his solitary walk on the highway.
The minor reported that he returned home from school that day to find Santos and Borja hastily packing bags. The couple told him they were leaving for “Guam or Idaho,” a plan they had never previously mentioned. They then got into a Toyota 4Runner and started their journey. The minor, who did not want to leave, was allegedly given two bags containing two pistols, ammunition, and some cash by the couple, who then left him on the side of the highway.
The minor speculated that the couple might have been testing his “mental fortitude” by leaving him alone on the highway. When police investigated the couple’s residence, they found it in a state of disarray, indicating a rushed departure with no regard for personal belongings. Attempts to reach the couple were unsuccessful.
Detectives found Santos and Borja, along with their vehicle, more than four hours later at a residence in Wauchula, approximately 60 miles northeast of North Port. The affidavit does not provide any explanation for the couple’s hurried departure.
The police concluded that the couple had left the minor on the highway without any means of self-care or prior custody arrangements. Santos and Borja are currently being held in the Sarasota County Jail on a $50,000 bond. Their next court appearance is scheduled for October 31.