Camilla Jessen
Florida couple accused of abandoning teen by highway.
Authorities say a Florida couple told a 16-year-old to get out of their car along I-75 and left him with handguns and cash before driving away.
Both now face felony child neglect charges.
Couple charged with child neglect
A Florida man and woman have been arrested after allegedly abandoning a 16-year-old boy on the side of a busy highway with two handguns and cash, according to an affidavit obtained by PEOPLE.
Bradley Leon Guerrero Santos, 36, and Roseanella Mendola Borja, 35, both of North Port, were taken into custody on October 3 in Wauchula and charged with child neglect without great bodily harm.
Additional charges
Santos faces an additional charge of allowing a juvenile to possess a firearm, per Sarasota County Jail records.
Both remain in custody on $500,000 bond each as of Thursday.
Teen found walking on interstate
The case came to light on October 1 when officers responded to a 911 call about a teenager walking alone along Interstate 75.
According to a probable cause affidavit, the boy told police he had been riding in a 2006 Toyota 4Runner with Santos, Borja, and an 8-year-old sibling when the couple suddenly pulled over and told him to get out.
“Take care of the house”
The teen said he was left with two duffel bags containing cash and two handguns, and was told to “take care of the house” before the couple drove away.
Frantic packing before disappearance
The boy told police that when he arrived home from school earlier that day, Santos and Borja were packing frantically, throwing clothes into bags and loading their car.
He said one of them had been “acting strange lately,” and that they were planning to leave Florida, possibly for Idaho or Guam, according to the affidavit.
When he objected to going with them, they allegedly stopped on the highway and ordered him out of the car.
Police find home in disarray
Officers later took the teen back to the couple’s residence in North Port, where they found the doors wide open and the house in disarray, the affidavit states.
The condition of the home suggested the pair had left abruptly, leaving behind personal items.
Authorities have not said whether the 8-year-old child was found or is in protective custody.
Investigation ongoing
The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office has not confirmed the boy’s relationship to the couple, though police documents indicate he lived in the same household.
It’s unclear whether Santos or Borja have obtained legal representation or entered pleas.
Both are expected to appear in Sarasota County Court later this month.
Community reaction
Neighbors told local media they were shocked by the arrests, describing the pair as “quiet but unpredictable.”
One resident said, “It’s frightening to think they would just leave a kid like that — especially on the interstate.”
This article is made and published by Camilla Jessen, which may have used AI in the preparation
