A 25-year-old Florida woman was arrested early Saturday morning after her young children — including a 6-year-old boy with autism — ran to a neighbor’s apartment around 1 a.m. believing their mother was dead. Shalesia Cave, of Gainesville, now faces three counts of child neglect.
What Neighbors Witnessed
A neighbor’s Ring camera captured Cave’s children knocking on her door, visibly distraught. The 6-year-old was reportedly singing that his mother was dead. The neighbor immediately brought the children inside her home, then rushed back to Cave’s apartment to retrieve a third child — a 10-month-old infant — who had been left alone inside.
What Police Found
Officers arrived to find Cave naked and unresponsive in her bathtub, breathing but completely unconscious. When an officer shook her and spoke loudly, she slowly regained consciousness but remained disoriented, crying, slurring her words, and unable to form clear sentences. It is unclear what caused her to pass out.
Her Own Words
Perhaps most troubling — Cave reportedly told police on her own, without being asked, that she had deliberately ignored her children earlier that evening so they would go back to sleep.
Where the Case Stands
Cave was booked at Alachua County Jail and later released on her own recognizance. She has been ordered to stay away from her children. It is currently unclear who is caring for the kids.