Miami Beach officer says he went into ‘dad mode' when he found wandering 2-year-old
A Miami Beach officer said he went into "dad mode" when he found a 2-year-old girl wandering alone in a building on Ocean Drive while her parents were allegedly out partying.
A picture captured the moment Officer Brandon Miller, of the Miami Beach Police Department, comforted the toddler he found screaming and searching for her parents at around 3 a.m. on Sept. 10.
"The little girl was just in her pamper and swimsuit top, completely soaked when we found her," Miller said. "The person we received the call from actually works security across from the building and he said he could just hear her screaming, screaming, 'Mama, papa.'"
NBC6 spoke last week to the little girl's parents, Daryl Lentz and Ciera Hurd, who expressed deep remorse. They said their family was on vacation from Baltimore celebrating multiple birthdays.
Police said the couple was out clubbing and left the 2-year-old, as well as her 12, 11 and 5-year-old brothers alone, sleeping in the apartment they rented, for over four hours.
All four children were taken to the Department of Children and Families. The parents were arrested and then appeared in court, charged with child neglect.
Lentz and Hurd insisted they are good parents, saying the 12-year-old was supposed to be awake watching the younger three. They called this a horror story and a tragic mistake.
"It was a small, tragic mistake that I'm really hurt about and I don't know what to do," Lentz said. "We've been doing a lot of crying, a lot of crying, every time we see pictures we cry."
While police searched for her parents, Miller comforted the toddler.
"I have a 2 and a 3-year-old at home and I guess I went into dad mode. I saw her, I thought about my son. I thought about my daughter," he said.
Lentz and Hurd are desperate to get their children back.
"We are really good parents, we are good people, we don't leave our children, this is not a regular thing for us," Hurd said.
The judge said both parents are allowed to see their children while they're in DCF custody. The couple is expected back in court in next month.
"I understand you want to come to Miami Beach on vacation, you want to have fun, but if you have your kids, obviously they take priority," Miller said.
