A Florida father continued his food delivery route after his nonverbal, autistic son disappeared from the car, police said
The Altamonte Springs Police Department (ASPD) said Jeremy Rouse faces child neglect charges after bystanders found his young son naked and by himself on an interstate entrance ramp Oct. 16 in Altamonte Springs, according to FOX 35 Orlando. Rouse allegedly admitted he discovered that the boy was missing but kept working to protect his Uber Eats rating.
The boy’s mother told a law enforcement officer she had fallen asleep in the passenger seat while Rouse made deliveries, WESH reported. She allegedly woke up and discovered her son was gone after turning around because of how quiet it was.
Two bystanders spotted the child around 11 p.m. on Oct. 16 and chased him down before he could reach traffic lanes, police said. (RELATED: Woman Dies In ‘Freak Accident’ At Music Festival)
A Florida father is facing child neglect charges after police say he left his young son behind during a food delivery route. https://t.co/yr0kz5HOSV
— FOX 35 Orlando (@fox35orlando) October 22, 2025
“I was running pretty fast. Anything could’ve happened in a matter of seconds because cars were zooming by,” rescuer Jamie Cabell told FOX 35.
“It was like we were running a quarter-mile run, and I had to catch this kid. I’m not going to let him go out into traffic. I have to save him,” Alexandre Thomas-Brown said.
Rouse told officers he feared arrest if he returned to the scene, police said. The mother took the child inside her car after arriving at the scene, according to WESH.
The Florida Department of Children and Families (FDCF) has opened an investigation. Authorities have not released the child’s age, the FOX 35 reported.
The Daily Caller has reached out to Uber and the Altamonte Springs Police Department for comment.
