Key Largo Woman Arrested for Neglect After Toddler Found Near U.S. 1

Monroe County deputies arrested 31-year-old Adriana Maripaz Vazquez Cano after a 2-year-old toddler was found walking barefoot and crying near U.S. 1 in Key Largo at about 7 a.m. on Feb. 17, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said. Cano was taken to the Monroe County jail following the incident.

The Sheriff’s Office said its call log shows deputies were dispatched to Tarpon Basin Drive at approximately 7 a.m. after multiple witnesses reported seeing a barefoot child wandering near traffic. The office posted, “The Sheriff’s Office was called to Tarpon Basin Drive at approximately 7 a.m. after multiple witnesses reported seeing a barefoot child wandering near traffic. The child was distraught and crying.”

Deputies located the child and secured the child’s safety, then found the nearby residence with the front door open and no one inside. Authorities noted the condition of the home in public comments, writing that “the home appeared dirty and disheveled.” Witnesses who alerted deputies included drivers and passersby near the Tarpon Basin Drive area of U.S. 1.

According to the Sheriff’s Office account, Adriana Maripaz Vazquez Cano arrived at the residence shortly after deputies secured the scene and told officers she had “only intended to be gone for a few minutes.” The office said multiple witnesses had seen the toddler walking close to traffic before deputies arrived.

Monroe County jail records list one count of child neglect without great bodily harm for Cano; she was booked and taken into custody. Adam Linhardt, a spokesperson for the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, said no injuries were reported to the child and that bond information was not immediately released.

The Sheriff’s Office also stated that the Department of Children and Family Services was notified as part of the response. The office posted the announcement on its social media account; the captured post showed it limited who could comment and displayed 24 reactions in the reproduced view.

Investigative and court records remain to be released publicly; booking details, bond amount and any scheduled court dates were not available at the time the Sheriff’s Office released its statement. The child was reported uninjured after deputies brought the youngster to safety, and the county’s child welfare notification was made in accordance with the agency’s standard protocols.