Gainesville mom arrested for leaving 5-year-old alone at beach

Historic City News in St Augustine has learned that a 30-year old Alachua County woman, Amy Lynn Kuitert, was arrested Saturday night, charged with child neglect, and released from the St Johns County Detention Facility the next morning — after posting $250 cash bond.

A 16-year-old female and 17-year-old male, on vacation from Tennessee, reported to law enforcement officials that Saturday, near Trade Wind Condominiums on the beach, they located a young child on the beach about 9:15 p.m., who they say was alone and very upset.

The witnesses attempted to locate a parent of the young boy for about thirty minutes and when they were unsuccessful they notified a resident at the condo who called the Sheriff’s Office.

At 10:30 p.m. a woman, who was accompanied by two family members, arrived on the scene and identified herself as the child’s mother. The woman, who did not appear to be upset or concerned with the situation, according to the deputy, told the deputy that she “heard from someone” that the child was located.

Investigators say that the child’s mother made no attempt to summon law enforcement even after her son was discovered missing for over an hour and a half.

The suspect told deputies that the child had been playing with other children and recently realized that he was gone. Because of the length of time that the mother left her child unsupervised, she was arrested. A Department of Children and Family Services responded to determine the placement of the child as their investigation continues.