The Sunrise Police Department in Broward County arrested a man identified as Sergio Suárez, accused of towing a car with a four-year-old girl inside, in front of the Bistro Criollo restaurant last Sunday.
According to the police report, the girl's father explained that he had parked the vehicle “for just two minutes” to pick up food from the establishment. In that brief moment, Suárez hooked the car to his tow truck at full speed and started towing it away.
The father, seeing the scene, ran out and shouted desperately that his daughter was inside the car, but the driver ignored the warnings and continued driving.
Moments later, the girl fell from the moving vehicle onto the road. Miraculously, she only sustained minor injuries to her arms and right leg, and was transported to Broward Health Medical Center.
The police managed to get Suárez to return to the area shortly after, where he attempted to flee but was arrested. He is now facing charges of child neglect without serious bodily harm.
The case has sparked intense debate on social media, where users expressed divided opinions on who bears more responsibility: the driver or the father.
Some believe that the tugboat acted with "inhumane cruelty" by ignoring the man's cries, while others point out that leaving a child alone in a car, even for a few minutes, is also irresponsible.
The video of the incident, shared by the Sunrise Police and the Only in Dade account, shows the chaos of the moment and has revived the debate about the lack of regulation and abuses by some towing companies in South Florida, which many residents describe as a "mafia" operating with impunity.
The investigation remains ongoing, and Suárez could face additional charges if the prosecution determines any aggravating factors.
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