A man has been arrested on a felony charge of child neglect following an incident at a gate in The Villages.
Dallas Coy McDaniel, 25, of Wildwood, was arrested Tuesday as a result of the incident which occurred earlier this month at the gate at the Village of Hemingway.
A Sumter County sheriff’s deputy found McDaniel passed out at about 3 a.m. in a black Dodge Ram pickup with Illinois license plates. The front tire of the vehicle was propped up on the center median. He had foil with burn streaks in his lap and there was an iPad nearby covered with a powdery residue. The substance tested positive for heroin. Marijuana was also found in the vehicle.
McDaniel was transported to UF Health-The Villages Hospital.
As the deputy was wrapping up the investigation, he heard a sound coming from the truck and it turned out to be a child. It was clear the child had been exposed to drugs and a dangerous situation.
Following his release from medical care, McDaniel was tracked down at his home and taken into custody. Bond for the Indiana native was set at $10,000.