Daytona Beach, FL - A 53-year-old Daytona Beach woman remains in the Volusia County Jail charged with Felony Child Abuse, Possession of Cocaine and Possession and Use of Narcotic Paraphernalia.
Daytona Beach Police responded to a call from a witness at Bucks Gun Rack, 607 W. International Speedway Blvd. on Sunday (Jan. 27, 2019) around 8:40 p.m. The witness told them that Teresa Latimore had left her 16-year-old son out in the cold with no way home.
The responding officer said the boy was outside the building when he arrived. It was around 50 degrees and raining and the teen was standing under the building's awning for shelter. He was wearing a hooded sweatshirt, sweatpants, sandals, and socks and was soaking wet.
The teen told the officer that his mother had been drinking while driving with him in the front seat. He reported that his mother called him names and swore at him and then fell asleep behind the wheel while the car was in motion. The teen also said his mother was driving erratically as if she was trying to crash the vehicle.
The teen contacted the witness at Bucks Gun Rack, asking for help. The witness said she heard the boy's mother yelling and cursing him. According to the incident report, the totality of the circumstances led the officer to charge Latimore with child abuse due to the intentional acts of driving erratically while under the influence of alcohol and allegedly, crack cocaine, and insulting and berating the teen, without any regard for his physical or mental well-being.
The victim provided police with the name and birthdate of his mother and positively identified her to police. He completed a sworn written statement and then told police he does not wish to press charges.
As for Latimore, DBPD found her unresponsive in her stationary vehicle at the intersection of International Speedway Blvd and Ridgewood Ave. at around 10:45 p.m. on Sunday. She was placed into custody and taken to Valor Blvd.
Latimore told police that her 16-year-old son struck her and choked her in the vehicle. She also said she suffers from a personality disorder. The report noted that Latimore struggled to keep her head up, failed to make eye contact for most of the interview and actually fell asleep while being questioned. DCF took custody of her son.
