LUTZ, Fla. - Vickie Rose still can't believe the 20-month-old boy that lives in her neighborhood wasn't hurt. "The Lord was with him. That's all I can say, is the Lord was with him and his parents," said the resident at Winter Quarters Pasco RV Resort.
According to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office, Travis and Kaitlin McKeever reported their son missing Wednesday night.
They told deputies they lost track of the child, who often plays in the front patio.
As it turned out, authorities say the boy had walked right out the front door. Then he left their RV Park and crossed six lanes of traffic on State Road 54.
The child ended up in the parking lot of a shopping plaza, more than 1100 feet from his home.
Eventually, an off-duty deputy and his wife found the toddler all alone in the parking lot. His parents were arrested and the boy was turned over to relatives.
While some in the neighborhood say there is no excuse for letting this happen, Rose is more sympathetic.
"They just taught the child how to swim and everything. They are nice people all the time. You talk to them. They must have just gone to sleep and the baby just got out of bed or something like that. It does happen," said Rose.
The parents, who are both 21 years old, ended up at the Land O'Lakes Jail. They were both charged with child neglect.
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