There is a reason why so many radio morning shows have segments called “Only In Florida.” When the show is running out of ideas you just need to search the police blotter in that state and you will be rewarded 9 times out of 10. So todays story is about Emily Sabogal, 32, got out of an Uber in Sunrise, Florida, handed the driver $10, and told him she’d be back in a couple of minutes.
She didn’t come back for two hours.
Her two kids—thirsty, hungry, unbothered—sat in the backseat with a stranger who eventually called 911 because he had no idea what else to do.
Cops found Sabogal walking near a McDonald’s more than two miles away. She couldn’t explain why she left her kids or how she got there.
Now she’s facing two charges of child neglect and unlawful child desertion—and prosecutors just added a new charge during a hearing this week.
The father of the children? He’s done with excuses.
“I don’t want this to be another slap on the wrist,” he told NBC affiliate WTVJ after the hearing. “I hope she goes to jail.”
The Timeline—From Karate Class to Arrest
The night started normally enough. Sabogal picked up her kids from karate class and called an Uber. The driver said she was holding a cup he believed contained alcohol and kept repeating in Spanish, “He thinks I’m stupid.”
She grabbed the driver’s phone, canceled the ride, then asked him to turn onto NW 108th Ave from NW 50th Street. When he stopped, she handed him $10 and said she’d be right back.
Then she walked out of sight.
After an hour, the driver called her. She said she’d be back in “12 minutes.” She never showed. She stopped answering his calls.
Two hours after she left, the driver called 911.
Cops arrived around 11 p.m. on February 13. The kids were fine—playful, even—but they said they were thirsty and hungry. Officers gave them food and water.
Police found Sabogal more than two miles away, walking near a McDonald’s. She smelled of alcohol and had slurred speech, according to the arrest report. She couldn’t explain where she’d been or why she left her kids with a stranger.
“Anything Could’ve Happened to Them”
The father—who is now caring for the children—told WTVJ that Sabogal put them in serious danger.
“Anything could’ve happened to them,” he said. “We live in a state where there’s kidnapping, rape, murder, and she just handed them off to somebody.”
He added that this wasn’t the first time Sabogal has behaved erratically. He’s “very concerned” for the safety of his kids and wants the legal system to take this seriously.
“Moving forward, she needs help,” he said. “I don’t understand how someone in their right mind would do something like this. She’s obviously not OK, and this needs to end.”
The Bar Before the Uber
Before the Uber ride, Sabogal was at Bob G’s Wings N Things—a local restaurant—with her kids. Staff told police she “enjoyed multiple alcoholic beverages at the bar” while her children ran around unsupervised.
Body camera footage obtained by ABC affiliate WPLG captured the arrest. An officer told Sabogal: “You just left your kids with an Uber. We were all over town looking for you. You left your kids for two hours.”
Sabogal said she didn’t have a car, her phone died, and her situation was “really complicated.”
“I understand that, but your No. 1 priority should be your kids,” the officer said.
Sabogal replied, “My kids are everything to me.”
The officer wasn’t buying it.
“What’s going on is you deserted your kids for two hours,” he said. “That Uber driver has been sitting with your kids waiting for you to come back for the past two hours.”
What Happens Next
Sabogal was arraigned on the new charge and has a court date set for July 31. She posted bond and was released from Broward County Jail. The children were released to a family member.
The father told WPLG he’s seeking justice—not just for this incident, but for a pattern of behavior he says has been going on “for a long time.”
“This has been going on for a long time, and I don’t want this to be another slap on the wrist,” he said.
The Uber driver—who did nothing wrong except pick up a fare—spent two hours with two kids who weren’t his, waiting for a mother who didn’t come back.