Mother outraged after child with autism walks home alone

Описание: SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, Fla. (WSVN) -- The family of a 6-year-old South Florida girl with autism is outraged after a security guard allowed her to walk home alone from school before dismissal, Monday morning.

Zoe Maglio's family said the security guard admitted to the school that he helped the young girl cross the street at Everglades K-8 Center, located at 8375 S.W. 16th St., then let her walk home by herself.

"I was horrified, I was crying," said Maglio's mother, Danielle. "God knows what could've happened to my daughter."

Danielle said Zoe was in the school's cafeteria around 10 a.m. when she said she needed to go home. She then walked to the front office and met with the school's security guard. "The security guard, who has seen me pick up both of my children that attend there, decided to cross the street with her because she had told him, 'My mommy waits for me over there,'" said Danielle.

Maglio safely arrived at home after a 30-minute walk and knocked on the door. "She was there standing in the front door by herself" said Danielle. "No adult. Nobody was with her, and then we asked her how she came in, 'What happened? How did you get here?'"

Danielle said the school normally has a strict policy regarding students leaving the school's premises by having the parents sign out their child before being allowed to go. "It's like they weren't paying attention," she said. "They were not doing their job properly."

The family lives six blocks from the school and were not notified at all about their loved one's whereabouts. "They did not notify me at all," said Danielle. "They said that they were out looking for her."

A statement released by Miami-Dade County Public Schools stated the security guard was subsequently fired: "Miami-Dade County Public Schools has strict guidelines in place to ensure student safety. Today, there was a breach of protocol by a school employee who did not follow those guidelines. The employee has been terminated and will not be rehired."

"It blows my mind to know anything could've happened to her at any given moment," said Danielle.