Prosecutors have dropped the criminal case against Opa-locka’s director of parks and recreation, who was cited after authorities said she left a 5-year-old child unattended inside a vehicle overnight for more than eight hours.
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A spokesperson for the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office told NBC6 that the dismissal was due to the Opa-locka Police officer on the case not showing up to court Tuesday.
Parks and Recreation Director Zonya Ray was cited in connection with the incident, which occurred on March 11. Investigators said the child was discovered around 6 a.m. in the parking lot of an Opa-locka government building on 12950 Northwest 42nd Avenue.
Records indicate Ray had been transporting juveniles to a football practice and was unaware that the child had entered her vehicle.
Ray acknowledged she failed to inspect the vehicle before leaving for the night, and the child remained inside the vehicle until the following morning, when Ray realized the child was missing and returned to the parking lot, records showed.
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Police cited Ray for leaving a child unattended in a vehicle with the engine turned off, stating that her actions demonstrated disregard for the child’s safety.
Ray was not physically arrested and booked into jail but was formally charged and signed a promise to appear in court instead of posting bond.
Court records do not specify the relationship between Ray and the child, nor do they indicate whether the child suffered any injuries as a result of the incident.
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The city’s website still lists Ray as the director of parks and recreation.
Ray’s attorney did not want to comment on the dismissal of the criminal case.