Orlando Father Arrested After Autistic Child Found Alone on I-4
An Orlando father, Jeremy Jaron Rouse, was arrested on October 16, 2023, following an alarming incident in which his autistic child was discovered alone and naked on an Interstate 4 ramp. The child was found while Rouse was occupied with food deliveries for Uber Eats, according to court documents.
The Altamonte Springs Police Department received reports around 11 p.m. regarding an unattended child on the I-4 on-ramp near State Road 436. Upon arrival, officers observed the child running naked down the ramp. A concerned passerby quickly intervened, catching the child and placing them in the back of a police patrol car for safety. The report does not disclose the child’s age or gender, but Rouse’s heavily redacted arrest report indicates that the mother mentioned the child was missing from “his seat” in their car.
When officers attempted to communicate with the child, they recognized that the youngster was nonverbal and likely autistic. Shortly thereafter, authorities received a call regarding a missing child that matched the description of the one in their custody. The police subsequently met the child’s mother at a nearby Walgreens, where they safely returned the child to her.
According to the mother, she and Rouse had been delivering food with their child in the vehicle when she fell asleep in the passenger seat around 9:30 p.m. Upon waking at approximately 11:30 p.m., she discovered the child was missing and inquired about their whereabouts. Rouse allegedly told her he thought the child was still sleeping during his deliveries.
The mother later confirmed with a police dispatcher that the child in custody belonged to her. Rouse, however, declined to accompany her to retrieve their child, fearing he would be blamed for the incident. Eventually, the mother drove to the Walgreens alone while police spent close to an hour with the child before she arrived.
It remains unclear how the child exited the vehicle. The report indicates the mother initially provided a statement but later recanted her account. Police encountered Rouse again at a Wawa convenience store around 3:30 a.m. on October 17, where he requested to speak with them. During this interaction, he admitted that after realizing the child was missing, he chose to continue with his deliveries to avoid negatively impacting his Uber Eats rating.
Rouse explained that he refrained from joining the mother to retrieve their child due to concerns about being arrested, stating that if he were to be taken into custody, he would prefer “to do it later.” He was subsequently arrested on a charge of child abuse without great bodily harm. Rouse has pleaded not guilty and has been released on bond, as per court records.
The police report also notes that authorities have recommended to prosecutors that the mother face similar charges, including perjury. The incident has raised serious concerns about the responsibilities of parents and caregivers in safeguarding vulnerable children.
