On August 16, 2024, the Lake Wales Police Department responded to a call from a concerned citizen regarding a young child left alone in a vehicle at Aldi, located at 753 Thompson Nursery Road in Lake Wales. Upon arrival, officers found a three-year-old boy secured in a car seat in the back of a 2006 Nissan SUV. The vehicle’s windows were cracked approximately three inches, allowing only minimal airflow, and the vehicle was turned off with no adult present nearby.
Acting swiftly, officers removed the child from the unlocked SUV. The Lake Wales Fire Department and Polk County Fire Rescue assessed the child, who was found to be in good health despite being extremely hot and drenched in sweat. Detectives determined that the child’s father, 70-year-old Sauveur Desulme of Frostproof, had left the child unattended in the vehicle for over 20 minutes while he shopped inside Aldi. Detectives arrested Desulme who was charged with negligent child abuse without bodily harm and leaving a child unattended in a vehicle for more than 15 minutes.
When questioned, Desulme explained that his child often misbehaves inside stores, and that was the reason he chose to leave the child in the car while he shopped.
