A Wildwood man was arrested after allegedly passing out drunk, letting a child wander out to be bitten by a dog.
A deputy responded to a juvenile call for service at an undisclosed RV park on State Road 44 in Wildwood at 7:05 p.m. Sunday, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. A neighbor advised that 42-year-old Michael Pope had not been taking care of the male juvenile victim.
The neighbor explained that Pope had been drinking all day and slept on the couch instead of watching the juvenile victim while his wife was at work. While he was drunk and asleep, the juvenile victim wandered off and got bitten by a dog on his right hand. He was also scared to go home to Pope, the report said.
The juvenile victim’s 21-year-old sister added that he had almost been hit by three cars. While pregnant, she had to watch him every day because all Pope did was drink. Pope had also been violent toward the child due to the drinking, the report said.
She had a video of Pope sleeping while the juvenile victim was out running around, came to her house after being bitten and was still outside by himself while Pope slept. Pope did not drop off the juvenile victim, but rather the neighbor walked him over because he was wandering around, the report said.
In the video surveillance, the juvenile victim stated Pope was asleep, so he left their trailer to play around in the RV park. He was out when a dog bit him. The sister then walked over to Pope’s residence, where the door was completely open. The video clearly showed Pope passed out drunk on the couch, the report said.
The juvenile victim told the deputy that Pope just slept all day without watching him. During this conversation, the deputy noticed his eyes were swollen and bruised, and he had a bite mark on his hand. He stated Pope punched his face twice and that a dog bit his hand, the report said.
The deputy was later approached by an independent witness, who stated the juvenile victim had been around her camper a couple of roads around the block. He was dirty and shoeless, so she asked him to take her to whoever watched him. He took the witness to his sister, and she stated Pope was home to watch him, the report said.
The witness followed the juvenile victim to his RV, where she saw Pope moving around. He ignored her and the child. After this, the juvenile victim followed her back to her camper. He left for the fire pit after she told him to stay, and he never came back, the report said.
The deputy noted that the door to Pope’s camper was wide open with no signs of him. He ultimately came outside while the deputy spoke to other people. He itched his eyes and appeared to be intoxicated, the report said.
Pope was arrested on charges of abuse child without great bodily harm and neglect child without great bodily harm. He was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center with bond set at $5,000.