Two adults were arrested in Tampa on Saturday morning, November 7, after deputies found two children riding unsecured in the back of a U-Haul van that also contained methamphetamine, prescription pills and drug paraphernalia, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said. The children were not named by authorities, and deputies said a family member took custody of them. The sheriff's office said the investigation remains active, and the charges described below are allegations: both adults are presumed innocent unless and until the allegations are proved in court.
Source: WWSB ABC7 (reporting the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office account)
Deputies responded at around 7:35 a.m. on November 7 to a gas station in the 6300 block of North Dale Mabry Highway, one of Tampa's main north-south commercial corridors, after a 911 caller reported two unresponsive people inside the van, according to the sheriff's office account reported by WWSB and by 10 Tampa Bay (WTSP).
What deputies say they found inside the van
Investigators said they found Vilmarie Diaz, 46, slumped in the passenger seat, and her two children unsecured in the back of the van. As deputies approached the driver's side, the van began to roll forward, according to the sheriff's office. Deputies said they got the attention of the driver, Arian Hernandez, 44, and ordered him to stop and exit the vehicle. They said Hernandez had red, glossy eyes and was unsteady on his feet, and he was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence.
Diaz appeared disoriented, deputies said. As she exited the van, they reported finding narcotics on the passenger seat. Investigators said they found methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and prescription pills inside the vehicle. One medication — methocarbamol, a prescription muscle relaxant — was unsecured and within reach of the children, according to deputies. The sheriff's office said the van had no child safety seats, and that the family appeared to have been living in the van.
The charges
Diaz was charged with two counts each of child abuse, possession of a controlled substance and possession of a drug without a prescription, along with possession of drug paraphernalia, the sheriff's office said. Hernandez was arrested on a driving-under-the-influence charge. Authorities did not release the children's names or ages, and Awaaz Punjab does not identify child victims or children in cases of this kind.
Under Florida law, child abuse is a felony offence, and a DUI arrest ordinarily leads to booking into the county jail, a first court appearance before a judge, and release conditions set by the court. The sheriff's office has not, in the reporting available so far, announced bond amounts, a first-appearance date, or whether additional charges are being considered; it said only that the investigation remains active.
Both adults face the Hillsborough County court process on the charges listed above. The children are with a family member, according to the sheriff's office. Because the investigation is described as active, further details — including any additional charges or court dates — are expected to come from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and court records.
North Dale Mabry Highway, where the van was parked, is a heavily travelled Tampa corridor lined with gas stations, motels and shops, and it carries commuters between downtown Tampa and the city's northern suburbs. For Tampa-area readers, including the region's Punjabi and wider South Asian families, the case underlines two points deputies repeat in cases of this kind: children must ride secured in proper seats, never loose in the cargo area of a rental van, and prescription medication in a vehicle should be kept secured and out of children's reach.
Awaaz Punjab will update this story if the sheriff's office releases further verified details. The information in this report comes from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office as reported by WWSB ABC7 and 10 Tampa Bay; the underlying allegations have not been tested in court.