Who:
Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office
Patrol Operations Bureau

Joshua R. O’Connor (Arrested)
DOB: 04/14/1987
Charges: One count of Neglect of a Child

The victim is a 4-year-old male, who was known to the suspect. Per Florida Statute 119.071(2)(h)1, no further information will be released that would tend to identify the victim.

What:
Pinellas deputies arrested a man after he left his 4-year-old son unattended in a vehicle for more than 30 minutes in Dunedin. 

When:
The incident occurred at about 9:30 a.m. on August 2, 2017.

Deputies were notified of the incident at about 8 p.m. on August 3, 2017.

Where:
The incident occurred in the State Farm Insurance Company parking lot located at 1164 Belcher Road in Dunedin.

Why/How:
Pinellas deputies arrested a man after he left his 4-year-old son unattended in a vehicle for more than 30 minutes in Dunedin.

Deputies were called to a Clearwater residence at about 8 p.m. on August 3, 2017, to investigate a complaint of a child left unattended in a vehicle.

The mother of the 4-year-old victim informed deputies that on August 2, 2017, she called 30-year-old Joshua O’Connor, on his cellular phone when her 4-year-old son answered the phone. Deputies say the child informed his mother he was alone and locked inside O’Connor’s vehicle while his father was inside a business.

The 4-year-old told his mother that O’Connor’s vehicle was running and the air condition was on. The victim’s mother stayed on the phone with the victim for more than 30 minutes until O’Connor’s cell phone battery died.

The victim’s mother tried locating O’Connor and her 4-year-old son with no success. Hours later, the mother was able to make contact with O’Connor and the child was returned to his mother.

Deputies confirmed the child was uninjured. 

Deputies say the investigation revealed that on August 2, 2017, O’Connor attended a job interview at State Farm Insurance Company located at 1164 Belcher Road in Dunedin. During the job interview, O’Connor locked his 4-year-old son inside his vehicle and left the child unattended for more than 30 minutes with the vehicle and the air conditioning running. 

Deputies arrested O’Connor at about 10:14 p.m. on August 3, 2017, at his residence.

O’Connor was transported to the Pinellas County Jail without incident.

O’Connor was charged with one count of neglect of a child.

The investigation continues. 

Booking photo of Joshua O’Connor.