Key Largo, FL – A holiday weekend trip to a Key Largo resort ended in handcuffs for a Delray Beach couple after they allegedly left their two young children alone in a hotel room while they went to the pool to drink alcohol and celebrate the Fourth of July.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office confirmed both parents were arrested and booked on felony child neglect charges.
Hotel Staff Discover Unattended Baby Crying Alone in Room at Reefhouse Resort
Deputies with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office were called to the Reefhouse Resort and Marina at around 1:45 PM on Saturday after hotel employees reported hearing an unattended baby crying inside a guest room.
Staff entered the room belonging to Brian Nicholas Cannella, 43, and Allison Sirica Cannella, 40, both from Delray Beach, Florida, and discovered two young children sitting alone inside their cribs and nursery beds.
After finding the children by themselves, resort employees went looking for the parents and eventually located them at the pool, where the couple had been enjoying alcoholic beverages.
Deputies arrived, reviewed security camera footage, gathered witness statements, and concluded that the children had been left completely alone in the room for somewhere between 40 minutes and one hour. Authorities confirmed that neither child sustained any serious injuries during the time they were left unattended.
Both Parents Charged With Two Felony Counts of Child Neglect
Brian and Allison Cannella were both taken into custody and each charged with two felony counts of child neglect without great bodily harm.
The Florida Department of Children and Family Services was notified about the incident, and the two children were placed into the care of a family friend while child welfare investigators made their way to the scene. Both parents are scheduled to appear in court on September 1.
The Reefhouse Resort and Marina is located in Key Largo, which sits in Monroe County at the northern end of the Florida Keys. The resort is a popular destination for families and tourists looking to enjoy the water during the summer months.
The case drew attention given the circumstances surrounding the holiday, with many families gathered at the resort to celebrate Independence Day.
While July Fourth is a time for relaxation and festivities for most, the situation served as a stark reminder of the dangers of leaving young children unsupervised, even for what may seem like a short period of time.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office has not released additional details about the ages of the children involved as the investigation remains ongoing.
