HIALEAH, FLA. (WSVN) - Following a 15-hour search, Hialeah Police were able to locate a mother and her 1-year-old daughter after an earlier incident in which the child fell out of her mother’s moving car.
Tasshay Chelsea Mills, 29, was found in Miramar, while her daughter Cassidy was located in Opa-locka. Both are now in police custody.
A Florida Missing Child Alert was issued Friday morning during the search but was later canceled.
According to Hialeah Police, the initial incident happened Thursday night near Northwest 37th Avenue and 54th Street.
A witness found the child, appearing to be injured, and called police.
Mills, according to police, returned to the scene, took the child forcibly from the witness and left without seeking medical help.
“We received a call of a very concerned citizen who witnessed a young girl being, what she thought, thrown out of a moving vehicle,” said Hialeah Police Officer Scarlett Hernandez. “Anyone of any nature, of any age can fall out of the car and have very serious injuries. Now imagine a 1-year-old.”
Surveillance video from a nearby business captured the witness, with Cassidy in her arms, attempting to call 911. Moments after, Mills can be seen approaching the witness and snatching her daughter from the witness.
“That she does snatch her from her arm very, very hard, and she doesn’t know if she’s injured,” said Hernandez.
Detectives said Mills never returned back to the intersection, where her daughter fell from the car, to speak to them.
It is unclear who Cassidy was with when she was found in Opa-locka.
Police said Cassidy was taken to Jackson Health North for evaluation. She is now with the Florida Department of Children and Families at the hospital.
“This won’t be tolerated in Hialeah. You cannot just toss, or even by mistake, the child falls out of the car, where’s the car seat? Where’s the seat belt? How are you going to leave her on the scene, and how are you going to snatch her? This is very serious, and again, we’re talking about life or death here,” said Hernandez.
Detectives are working with the State Attorney’s Office to determine possible charges against Mills.
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