A woman was arrested at Universal CityWalk Orlando after leaving her 12-year-old daughter alone while she partied at a club.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a missing child at CityWalk at about 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 7. They found the 12-year-old “visibly upset, crying, and sitting alone on a bar stool” near Shoreline, an outdoor bar.
The girl said she had been at the bar with her mother, 33-year-old Amanda Thorpe from Lake Mary, who was already intoxicated. Someone said something that upset Thorpe, who then decided to go to Red Coconut Club. The club is usually restricted to ages 21+ but is currently open to all ages with its Mardi Gras seasonal overlay, Cursed Coconut Club.
The daughter, however, said she wanted to go back to the hotel room because she was tired. Thorpe became “livid,” showed her middle finger, and cursed at her daughter. She then left the bar without her daughter.
Another guest who witnessed the interaction told the bartender, who then called Universal security. While deputies were speaking with the daughter, security found Thorpe at Red Coconut Club. She was dancing alone with an alcoholic beverage. Thorpe initially claimed she thought her daughter was with her the whole time. She then later said her daughter was in the hotel room and not at CityWalk.
Thorpe “spontaneously uttered that she was confused about why she would possibly go to jail, as she had done this before.” Deputies also noted Thorpe had bloodshot eyes, was unbalanced, and otherwise appeared intoxicated.
Thorpe was charged with child neglect and released on bond. The daughter’s grandfather was notified and picked her up. The Department of Children and Families was also informed of the incident.
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