Law&Crime Sidebar - Florida Mom Ditches Toddler on Beach to Help Drunk Friend: Bodycam

Episode Date: May 11, 2026

A Florida mother avoided her birthday celebration at a Key Largo resort turning into a tragedy when her 3-year-old daughter was rescued from drowning by a bystander. Bodycam footage captured the moments Monroe County deputies confronted Yavelin Fernandez, who allegedly left her two children unsupervised for approximately 25 minutes. Law&Crime’s Jesse Weber breaks down the investigation and the child neglect charge filed in the wake of the harrowing incident.PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW: Grow your own audience today – go to https://www.opus.pro/sidebar for 1 week free plus 50% off the first 3 months of Opus Pro.HOST:Jesse Weber: https://twitter.com/jessecordweberLAW&CRIME SIDEBAR PRODUCTION:YouTube Management - Bobby SzokeVideo Editing - Michael Deininger, Christina O'Shea, Alex Ciccarone, & Jay CruzScript Writing & Producing - Savannah Williamson & Juliana BattagliaGuest Booking - Alyssa Fisher & Diane KayeSocial Media Management - Vanessa BeinSTAY UP-TO-DATE WITH THE LAW&CRIME NETWORK:Watch Law&Crime Network on YouTubeTV: https://bit.ly/3td2e3yWhere To Watch Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3akxLK5Sign Up For Law&Crime's Daily Newsletter: https://bit.ly/LawandCrimeNewsletterRead Fascinating Articles From Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3td2IqoLAW&CRIME NETWORK SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawandcrimeTwitter: https://twitter.com/LawCrimeNetworkFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/lawandcrimeTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/lawandcrimenetworkTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lawandcrimeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You left your daughter in the beach with a sibling that's five years old alone. I was going to be watching them. She was drowning. Someone had to take it out of the water because she was drowned and died. Do you understand that? A Florida mom was caught on camera moments after her young daughter was reportedly saved from drowning at a resort. And her reaction got a lot of attention from bystanders and deputies.

And now that we got our hands on body cam video of the police investigation, we are going to take a closer look at her. interaction with investigators and what happened with this case. Welcome to Sidebar, presented by law and crime. I'm Jesse Weber. So as you're watching this, by the way, and if you're into content creation, if you're putting things out on social media, you might be wondering how are we able to share all of these clips

from these rapidly developing stories so quickly? Well, here's a secret. We use something called Oasis clip. This is an all-in-one AI editor that makes it so easy to cut, create, and upload videos. across any platform. Through AI, Opus clip generates B-roll, it reframes footage, and it even cleans up audio. It is so easy. You just visit Opus.compro slash sidebar. You sign up, you upload, and in minutes, you will have perfectly edited clips ready to go. So for TikTok, shorts, reels, Opus clip is really your one-stop shop. And having a tool like Opus clip means that our producers can get you viral courtroom

updates instantly. This is the most powerful tool there is to share ideas and edit like a pro. So go to opus.com pro slash sidebar to get a free week and then 50% off. On April 23rd, 2023, a fun beach day, nearly, very nearly turned into a tragedy in Key Largo, Florida. A mom celebrating her birthday took her two young children and some friends to a beachside resort called Gilbert's Resort. When Monroe County deputies got to that scene, there was a lot of confusion about what exactly was going on. and who was involved. You have another son with you? Yeah.

How old is he? He's fine. All right. Go to the beach and look for him, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. What's he wearing? What's he wearing? Hold on, hold on, hold on that. Man, what's he wearing?

That's what I'm saying? So what's next? I don't know. Let's see. She said she's there with him, but I'm like, how are you not holding your child, you know? So deputies here realize that these two incidents happening at the same time on the property are actually connected. Here's what they were able to figure out. This is according to a sheriff's office incident report.

Yavalin Fernandez was with her kids and friends at this resort. One of the women with her got reportedly extremely drunk and was throwing up at the bar. So Yavalin and another friend reportedly took her to a bathroom, which meant that a three-year-old girl was allegedly left on the Sandy Beach with only her five-year-old brother. to watch over her. And that is when this little girl reportedly started to struggle in the water and fight for air. So what happens is, according to the report, another mom rushes into save her. When Yavalin gets back to the beach and sees another person holding her child, she reportedly freaked out. And despite deputy's explanations that this was, you know, a very close call, Yavalin, by all accounts, didn't seem to take the situation maybe as seriously as she should have.

Instead, she insisted that she only had stepped away for, quote, one or two seconds, but according to the incident report, Yavalin was apparently gone for around 25 minutes. Quote, Yavalin then returned to the beach irritated and appeared to be intoxicated. Yavalin was cursing and yelling racial remarks at law enforcement on scene. Yavalin stated she left redacted, meaning the child, with her brother, redacted. for two seconds. By the way, very common to redact the names of minors. Javelin then said she left redacted and redacted with two other adults. Javelin was placed in custody and security in my patrol unit while I reviewed the camera

footage the Gilbert's management provided of the beach area. Now, when deputies arrived, they separated Javelin from the rest of the group as they tried to get a handle on what was going on. They tried to understand the situation with her children. By the way, as well as getting her friend to a hospital. here with two of my kids. I just came to to bring him to the beach. I understand, but when you're questioning why somebody else

is holding your daughter, that means that you should have been there to be holding your daughter. But literally we were all paying attention to it. Like, I was literally leaving right now. How could everybody be in attention if an honest citizen that don't even know you... What is going on right now? I don't understand which way I'm really living right now. In the beach. You left your daughter with a five-year-old brother, right?

What is going on? You left your daughter in the beach with a sibling that's five-year-old. sibling that's five years alone she was drowning someone had to take it out of the water because she almost drowned and died do you understand that we're not saying you're not a good man I'm not saying you're a bad mom I'm not saying you're a bad mom you're not a bad mom you stepped away from them you left them you left them with a five year old and she ended up drowned it that someone had to go into the water because she went too deep and she was taking in water and she almost ground.

And people in the beach had to step in and get her out from the water because she almost died. Do you understand what we're at right now? What were you at that point? I'm not saying to know right there. I've been checking on her every five days. I brought a blanket. I brought water.

I brought cold. I brought everything for them to be comfortable for today. Literally last day was my birthday. Today I'm like, okay, I'm going to spend her with my kids. I've been to them all the day. If I have been bringing a second house, sure. You know, like, if that person had stepped in, she would have died?

I'm not. I'm not a bad mom. I don't know what to tell you. I never said that you're a bad mom. But what I'm saying is a sorority of what occurred. You stepped away, she almost died. I understand. All right?

Yes, sir. So, she was at my bar, and she had the kids. And the truth is, when the friend got drunk, I think she thought the men were looking after the babies. She literally has had them the whole time. And if she wasn't, if she was a parent, I would have said so. I'm a foster parent. I fostered through citrus.

I've adopted. I'm very big on kids. She has had them the whole time. And so when her friend was stumbling drunk, these are her friends, these her shoes. She took it to the bathroom because she's like she's throwing up, you know? So that's, I don't want you to think that she just, she wasn't just not being a mom.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So where's the friend at now, or did she leave somebody else in charge? So, so she, so she went to go, oh God, I don't know, God. She went to go, she went to go to the bathroom. She said with her brother and her friends, I think they assumed that the brother and the friend were going to be watching while they were in the women's room. Because she literally just went. She was not, she's literally been there the whole time and the kids were with her.

I'm not trying to be funny, but they really were. So I, she wasn't not being a good mom. Okay. I'll pass that on to my partner. That's her friend's shoes? That's not her shoes. Hold on, ma'am. Hold on.

What happened? Somebody found her daughter. I understand. All right. Somebody found her daughter in the water drowning. Some citizen little girl saw the baby drowning. Yeah, the baby's out, yeah. She's wondering why somebody else is holding her daughter, and you're trying to tell her you were not there for her.

That's why another citizen is a bartender, a waitress, is holding your child. Why doesn't she know that a citizen is not holding her child? Yeah. Can I talk to her? Just give me one second. But I came to tell them that you guys took your friends in the bathroom. And in that moment, that's all it was. Like, it was.

And who was in charge at that time? Look, I went with her friend, and she was concerned. Like, she, if you just, where's her daughter? Can I make sure she's okay? Yeah, she's with Sergeant Benedetti. He's over there underneath the 10th. Yeah, you can go over there. Okay, thank you.

I just brought my kids here to have a good time. I'm not drunk. I'm not anything. If I lost sight of her for a second, then it was a second. And it had something so weird. But when you walked your friend, you walked your friend to the bathroom? No, I never went to the bathroom. I was here.

I was watching the whole time. Well, little kids, it happens quick. No, I know. Like, this was our day. You're trying to match a why a citizen found your daughter in the water. That's what I'm saying. No, no, no. She came.

Not her own family. No, no, no. We were here at the bar and I brought them and I put some screen on them and everything. And I was watching them. And then she came to me because my kid didn't, like, share toys with her kids. or something like that and I'm like listen I brought enough I brought enough toys for them to play together you know and she's like oh okay then it's fine like whatever my kid will share you get me and I'm like okay and I was watching them the whole time I really don't know why I am here

like I I'm like flabbergasted right here we're literally leaving right now like we were literally leaving right now I don't understand and she was really nice She was like, okay, my kid will play with your kids because my kid was frustrated because her kid didn't want to like share or whatever. Whatever, they're five, you know. And I'm like, okay, whatever. Listen, just share with my kid, whatever. I had a drink. I was paying attention to them.

I looked every five seconds. They were fine. I don't know why I'm here. Like, I don't know. I am here. Like, they were fine. I just tried to have a Sunday with my kids. No, we understand that.

But with kids and stuff, you turn your second. No, for a second. I have a five-year-old daughter. I panic, you know? I understand that. I understand that. I understand that complaining. But I looked every second.

I'm a single mom. There's no reason for me not too much. The other gentleman, husband, boyfriend, whatever he is. I don't know who he is. Wait, who. No, with you in your group. That's my brother. Your brother.

Okay. Was he in charge of the kids? No, no, no. We were all together. Me, him. my best friends, they came out of town for my birthday. We were all looking out. If the other lady was complaining,

then, hey, that's on her, I don't know. I brought toys for them. I brought water. You can check my bag. I got lost. I'm a good mom. I don't understand. I don't understand.

Maybe, hey, for that one second, maybe something happens. I don't know. But everything was under control. We were there. We were literally sat in that place to literally focus on that. I mean, how far, if she was in the water, how far away were you? Were you at the bar?

Were you at the bar? I could see her all the time. Like, my best friend is her godmother. Like, she was like, oh, Ivy's playing. She would, they would come to me every five minutes. I put water in his face and his eyes and he was right there. I don't know what's happening right now. You can say anything about me, but I'm not about it.

I love those kids. I don't know what's going on. I work from home. I never leave my house. And I just brought them here to have a good time. I don't know what happened. Well, we'll try to clear this stuff as soon as we can. No, it's okay.

I understand that you're doing your job, but I'm just letting you know that I'm not a bad mom. Are they with you? So these deputies, they put Yavalin in handcuffs. They put her in the back of a patrol car, and they continue their investigation, which includes, like I mentioned, looking at the security footage inside the resort's main office.

Hey, stand up for me? Go to your back, right? Why am I getting... Sound big luck, man. What? I understand you love your kids, accidents happen, right? If it wasn't for that bystander, we'll be doing a death investigation. Watch your foot?

You don't want to watch in her, man. I don't know how I watch her. It's a cluster. I promise you, I'm a mother. If anything, my baby daddy is a piece of shit that went to school. I'm gonna make you feel bad for me or anything, because I'm not. for me or anything because I know that you're just doing your... Now, one of Yavalin's friends, as well as her brother, tried to step in to calm her down.

When you look at this, doesn't appear to work. I know this doesn't relate to you, but she's literally their provider. This was a one-time incident. I got them. We got them. My mom's there. We're good. You just need to relax.

Trust me. Trust me. I didn't do it. Yavin, I know. You need to calm down. Listen, look at me. I may cut! Give me favor, just walk away from me, please.

I'm going to roll up the window. I respect you. All right, thank you. I'm a pro officer. I respect you, okay? I appreciate your home. I give her a chance with a brother. I give her chance with you.

I appreciate you. Thank you. All right. Sorry about all this, ma'am. In the meantime, as this is going on, EMTs, other deputies, they're carrying Yavalin's friend from the bathroom to an ambulance, noting in the body camera that she'll likely need to have her stomach pumped at the hospital. Carlos, so for your report, she only had one drink, a bunch of random people bought her shots

in their, they'd been gone. That's what she told us. One drink? So someone else bought her drinks. So she only bought one herself. Someone else was supplying her with booze, and this is what we get. Later on, in the body camp, there's even some suspicion that this young woman might have been drugged. because of how quickly she became so heavily intoxicated.

Now, one of the deputies saves the resort's surveillance video onto a USB drive. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Yeah, look like she's paddling, though. Oh, my God. So the lady that saved her or wasn't her? No, just a random person in the pool with dirt kids. All righty, so that's a 554.

Let's see when's the last time. That's her alone. And that's the other kid right there. I got the video, so you see the baby's alone. It walks to the water and she's literally her heads above the water. She starts pat-wind. Yeah, and no, make sure you mention no. There's no facilities, there's nothing.

And some lady, like, grabbed there because she was starting to go down. I have it all on camera. You go back to this incident report. It reads, quote, a review of the camera footage revealed the following. At 1744, both redacted, who was wearing a blue shirt standing on the beach sand, and redacted wearing a two-piece bikini in the water are seen. Neither child had on a life-saving device or a flotation system. I did not recognize any of the adults on the beach associated with either child,

nor did I see Yavlin. So again, we go back to this allegation that she left them with other adults. From 1744 to 175336, both redacted and redacted are seen playing unattended and unsupervised on the sand and the shoreline of the beach. At no point did I observe Yavlin. At 175339, Redacted is seen drifting toward the ocean where it begins to get deep. Redacted is seen jumping as she walked toward the deeper end. At 175346, Redacted's head is only visible and looked in distress. Redacted began to flail her arms as she struggled to stay afloat on the water.

At 1753-58, Redacta continued to tread in the water trying to stay afloat, causing sphawl her. splashes by her flailing arms, which caught the attention of a woman. The woman then grabbed and saved redacted from nearly drowning, then took her to shore. For the remainder of the footage, at no point, was Yavalin's scene. So right now we're going to jail. Child neglect. So you'll see the judge tomorrow, 1 o'clock in the afternoon. That judge is such a condition to release.

Yes, ma'am. Yes. He's going to set your conditions to release. That's not up to me. That's up to the judge and pretrial services. It could be problem probation or you're releasing your recourse. That's up to the judge and pre-trial services, okay? Here's the good news, okay?

Both of these kids are okay. They were released to family members. That's the best part of this story. Yavlin, what happened to her? So Yavlin was arrested. She was charged with child neglect, but according to Monroe County Court records, the prosecutor decided against taking any action and the case was dropped. and a reason wasn't provided. Now, why, in my opinion, you know, look, prosecutions, there's a number of

different factors that go into it. It's not only the evidence, it's not only can you prove the charge, it should you. And I do wonder, again, this is pure speculation in my part, you have the kids, they're okay. This is a terrible incident, and you wonder if this is going to be a potential learning experience, but does it warrant criminal charges at this point talking about everything that happen. I'm not entirely sure. I don't know all the evidence. Surveillance, obviously, is key. If you can talk about where Yavalin was and where allegedly she wasn't, and the footage is going to be a key piece of evidence. But you also try to wonder what happened to this other person who was apparently or allegedly drugged. So there's a lot of complicating factors in terms of

can you prove child neglect and should you move forward with this case. But look, at the end of the day, again, it's so good that these kids are okay. And I will also tell you in a photo that was posted to Facebook around a year later, both of Yavalin's children are now wearing life vests as they stand next to a pool. That's all we have for you right now here on Sidebar, everybody. Thank you so much for joining us. And as always, please subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, wherever you should get your podcast.

You can also check us out on NBC's Peacock as well. If you want to follow me, X Instagram, My News Nation Show, Jesse Weber Live, Monday through Friday, 11 p.m. Eastern. See you next time, everybody. I'm