Florida Mom Arrested After Toddler Climbs Onto Roof Of Her House

After a toddler climbed onto the roof of her Florida home, local authorities decided to toss her mother behind bars. According to The Daytona Beach News-Journal, the toddler was having a grand ole time with the family dog when a neighbor spied the child on the roof of the house. Concerned that something horrible was about to happen, the witness quickly phoned police.

The Volusia County sheriff’s sergeant who responded to the call immediately spied a dog on the roof of the home, while the two-year-old was hanging out on a deck nearby. Before long, the child attempted to circumvent the deck’s safety barrier in an effort to reach the roof. It was around this time that the sergeant decided to officially address the problem.

The roof-climbing toddler’s mom, 24-year-old Erica Hess, claimed that she had been watching the child while moving some furniture. Of course, her story started to change a bit when the sergeant asked if her attention had been undivided the time.

WOFL reports that, while the timeline surrounding the toddler’s outdoor adventures was questioned by her mother, Hess did state that her offspring was capable of following the dog through the aforementioned barrier an onto the roof the house.

Although the child was unharmed during her stint on the roof, one witness explained to deputies that the two-year-old stumbled and almost rolled off the house. Given that the toddler was a good ten feet off the ground, chances are a tumble would not have ended well for all involved. Thankfully, the little girl only experienced a handful of scrapes and scratches to her stomach and legs.

Erica Hess, who has been arrested no less than three times since 2011, has been charged with neglect for allowing her toddler to roam around freely on the roof of her house. At present, the mother is out on bail.