A South Florida mother was arrested after police said she left her 3-year-old and 4-year-old children in an Uber for more than two hours while she went to a nearby shopping and dining area, prompting the driver to call 911 when she did not return and the children became thirsty and hungry.
The case drew attention because it started with a stranger trying to do the right thing, with the children still buckled in the back seat while their ride had effectively ended. Police said the mother, Emily Sabogal, 32, appeared intoxicated and confused when officers located her later in the night. She was booked on one count of child neglect and two counts of child desertion, authorities said, and her case is expected to move through Broward County courts in the coming weeks.
Sunrise police said they were called about 11 p.m. on Fri., Feb. 13, after an Uber driver reported that a passenger had stepped out of his vehicle and left two small children behind. Officers who met the driver found the toddlers inside the car and quickly checked them for injuries, police said. The children appeared healthy and in good spirits, officers said, but they were thirsty and hungry after waiting in the vehicle for hours. An officer asked the driver how long he had been there, and the driver replied that it had been more than two hours.
According to police accounts and video later released by local authorities, the driver said Sabogal appeared to have been drinking when she entered the vehicle. The driver told officers she had a cup with her that smelled like rum, and he handed the cup to police as they began looking for her. Officers said the driver described a ride that did not follow the planned route. A police officer later summarized the driver’s account for other responders, saying the passenger kept telling him to turn and deviate from the GPS route. The officer said the passenger asked the driver to cancel the ride and offered extra cash, then got out in a parking lot and disappeared.
Police said the driver tried to reach Sabogal after she left. When about an hour passed, the driver called her, officers said, and she told him she would be back soon. The driver stayed with the children, police said, but Sabogal did not return. The driver eventually called 911 because he did not know what else to do and did not want to abandon the children himself. The driver’s name has not been released by authorities, and police did not say whether he continued to receive ride requests while waiting.
Officers then began searching the area around the drop-off point, which police described as a shopping plaza. Investigators said they located Sabogal later in the night after checking nearby businesses and walking through parking lots. In the paperwork cited by local outlets, officers wrote that Sabogal slurred her words and showed signs of intoxication while answering questions. Video from the encounter showed officers repeatedly telling her that the Uber driver had been waiting with her children for hours. When an officer asked what was going on, Sabogal said, “I don’t know what’s going on right now,” and insisted she had not deserted her children.
Police said Sabogal offered shifting explanations during the encounter. In the video, she told officers her phone had died and suggested that might explain why she did not return. Officers pressed her about why she left two toddlers with a driver who was a stranger to the family. One officer told her the situation was serious because the driver had been sitting with the children for hours while she was gone. Sabogal said she was a mother and not a criminal and spoke about her situation being complicated, according to the footage.
Authorities said their investigation included retracing where Sabogal went after she exited the vehicle. Police said they concluded she went to a local restaurant and consumed several alcoholic drinks. Police did not release a receipt or name the business in the public summaries that circulated with the video, but officers described it as a place she had visited before. Investigators also documented the ride details and the driver’s efforts to contact her, police said. The Uber trip had ended, authorities said, leaving the driver with two young passengers and no clear way to complete a drop-off or transfer custody.
Sabogal was arrested and charged with child neglect and two counts of desertion of a child, police said. Court records referenced by local outlets showed she appeared before a judge on Feb. 15, when bond was set at $1,500 for each charge. She was later released after posting bond, officials said. It was not immediately clear whether she had retained an attorney who could speak on her behalf, and police did not release details about where the children were taken after officers arrived, such as whether they were released to family or handled through child welfare procedures.
The incident highlighted the difficult position ride-share drivers can face when passengers make unexpected demands. Police said the driver did not try to leave the children, and officers credited him with calling for help when the mother did not return. The driver remained on scene and spoke with officers as they assessed the children, according to the video. Investigators did not accuse the driver of wrongdoing, and they did not indicate that he violated any law by staying with the children in his car while waiting for the mother.
Still, the case raised questions that investigators said they were working to answer. Police did not say whether Sabogal had arranged the ride with the children’s destination in mind or whether she intended to return quickly and then continue the trip. Officers said she appeared impaired, which can affect judgment and memory, but they did not specify whether she took a breath test or a blood test. Police also did not say whether the children’s other parent was contacted that night or whether there is a custody dispute that might shape the court proceedings.
In similar child desertion cases, prosecutors often focus on the length of time a child was left without a parent or guardian and whether the adult’s actions created a risk of harm. Police said the children were not physically injured, but they emphasized that the mother left them with a driver who had no relationship to them and who had no legal responsibility for them. Officers also said the children were hungry and thirsty by the time police arrived. Investigators said they will provide the state attorney’s office with reports, statements and any available video as charging decisions move forward.
Video from the police encounter offered a window into the moment officers confronted the mother and the tone of the investigation. In the footage, officers repeatedly returned to the same point: the Uber driver had been waiting with her children for hours. One officer told her plainly that this was why police were there. Sabogal continued to say she did not understand what was happening and suggested her phone problems contributed to the situation, according to the video. Officers responded that a dead phone did not explain leaving toddlers behind and not returning.
By the end of the encounter, police placed Sabogal in custody. Officers then focused on documenting the children’s condition, collecting the driver’s account and locking down a timeline of the night, police said. The investigation is expected to include reviewing ride details, phone records where available, and any surveillance video from businesses near where the ride ended. Prosecutors will also likely review whether the mother’s alleged intoxication and the decision to cancel the ride played a role in the desertion and neglect allegations.
As of Sunday, the criminal case remained pending in Broward County, and authorities said additional court dates could be scheduled as prosecutors review the reports and determine how to proceed. Police said the key facts under review are how long the children were left in the vehicle, what the mother did during that time, and whether her actions meet the legal standard for neglect and desertion under Florida law.
Author note: Last updated February 22, 2026.