A Florida mother has been arrested after she allegedly offered to sell her 18-month-old daughter for $500 and then abandoned the toddler when the person rejected the offer.
Palatka Police said the incident began on March 5 when an employee of a a local business saw Jessica Woods, 33, “loitering” around the business. The employee said Woods had been in the area for a few days with her daughter. The employee went out and asked if the family needed help.
“Woods told the citizens she did not need anything but, offered to sell the child to the citizen for $500.oo,” police said. “When the citizen refused to purchase the child, Woods walked away, leaving her daughter behind.”
The employee immediately took the child the police, who contact a victim advocate and eventually put the little girl into the care of the Department of Children and Families. The girl has since been placed into foster care.
Police eventually arrested Woods on charges of child abuse, child neglect, and abandonment of a child.
She is being held on bonds totally $255,000, according to jail records.
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[Featured image: Jessica Woods/Putnam County Sheriff’s Office]
