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Patricia Anne Bronson was accused of leaving two young children unsupervised at the Gulf of Mexico beach for at least half an hour on October 7, 2023. It was also alleged that the younger child, who is three years old, was reportedly waddling into the water all by herself.
Arrest reports from Pinellas County Sheriff's Office noted that on Saturday, Patricia, an attorney from Clearwater, Florida was apprehended. The 41-year-old was also charged with two counts of neglect of a child without great bodily harm, a third-degree felony. Patricia Anne Bronson was booked into the Pinellas County jail.
Patricia Anne Bronson was listed as the children’s "caregiver"
According to the arrest report, cited by the Tampa Bay Times, on Saturday morning, Patricia Anne Bronson dropped the children at Upham Beach in St. Pete Beach. Witnesses noted that the attorney then got into her car and left. The New York Post reported that the bystanders informed the authorities about the unattended children.
The arrest reports state Patricia is the "caregiver" to the two children, both girls, aged seven and three. It is still unclear whether Patricia is related to the girls or if she was looking after them for an acquaintance or a relative.
The Tampa Bay Times noted that when one of the witnesses asked the seven-year-old where her sister was, she responded by pointing to the water. The witness allegedly saw the three-year-old in waist-deep water all by herself. While the child allegedly ran off from the witness, they were able to convince her to stay with them and her seven-year-old sister.
It was reported that Patricia Anne Bronson told the authorities that she had gone to park the car when the children were left alone without supervision.
Patricia was also reportedly charged with an additional third-degree felony charge of introducing/possessing contraband in a county detention facility. The attorney was reportedly jittery when authorities asked her if she was hiding something but she told them that she was just cold. However, authorities later recovered a vape with a liquid in it with Patricia.
Patricia Anne Bronson was arrested for DUI in 2022
According to the Florida Bar, Patricia is employed as an attorney at an international law firm, White & Case LLP, and her area of practice is in the federal appellate courts.
The report by the Tampa Bay Times mentioned that in 2022, Patricia was apprehended in Hillsborough County on a charge of driving under the influence. This was followed by her pleading no contest to a lesser charge of reckless driving, which is a second-degree misdemeanor. A spokesperson from the Florida Bar told the outlet that they have an open case regarding that incident.
Patricia was released on a $15,000 bond on October 8, 2023, and is awaiting a return court appearance for the child neglect charges she faces.
