Chaos erupted outside a Sunrise, Florida restaurant Sunday when a tow truck driver allegedly hauled away a car with a 4‑year‑old girl still inside.
The driver, identified as Sergio Suarez, 34, was later arrested and charged with child neglect, a third‑degree felony.
Video from the scene shows Suarez pulling away from Bistro Creole as the girl’s father frantically chased after the truck, banging on the window and shouting for him to stop.
According to the arrest report, the father had stepped inside the restaurant when the tow began. He ran outside in panic, warning Suarez his daughter was inside, but the driver kept going.
Moments later, the father watched in horror as his daughter tumbled out of the moving vehicle onto the roadway. He sprinted into traffic, scooped her up, and carried her to safety.
The child suffered cuts and bruises to her arms and calf. She was taken to a hospital for treatment and later released.
Police said Suarez returned to the restaurant after officers contacted his company, All‑Ways Towing. He was taken into custody on the spot.
Suarez told investigators he hadn’t checked the car for occupants before towing. He admitted ignoring the father’s pleas because he feared the man might become aggressive.
He further claimed his company called him multiple times warning that a child was inside, but when he stopped to check, he said he found no one.
The arrest report described Suarez’s actions as “culpable negligence” and a “reckless disregard for the safety of a minor.”
Suarez was released on $10,000 bond. In court Monday, his attorney insisted Suarez checked the vehicle three times, but the judge pointed to video evidence and Suarez’s own admission that he hadn’t looked.
Witnesses described the scene as “terrifying,” with bystanders screaming as the child fell onto the road. Community members expressed outrage, calling the incident “reckless” and demanding stricter oversight of towing companies.
On social media, reactions were divided. Some criticized Suarez for negligence, while others questioned why the father left the child alone in the car. “Both showed poor judgment, but the driver endangered a child,” one commenter wrote.
Child safety advocates stressed the case highlights the importance of vigilance. “This was preventable,” one expert said, urging better training for tow truck drivers to check vehicles thoroughly before towing.
