KEY WEST, Florida -- A mother of two from Sugar Land, TX is in a Florida jail cell after a family vacation that reportedly spun out of control.
Suzanne Simon was arrested Thursday in Key West, FL on suspicion of felony child neglect.
Police say the 38-year-old environmental engineer smelled of booze and slurred her words when she was taken into custody.
According to a police report, Simon kicked a 12-year-old boy out of the car on popular Duval Street without any shoes. She allegedly did so because the boy was reading the GPS incorrectly.
The report also states that Simon sent an 8-year-old girl out of the car in search of more beer.
Police haven’t officially identified Simon as the mother of the children. However, those who know Simon confirm that the kids belong to her.
“I’m nervous. Where are the kids? I want to know where the kids are. Did she just leave them on the street and take off,” questioned Simon’s friend Mary Lou. “She never mistreated the kids. Never.”
Mary Lou says the father of both kids died in a motorcycle accident years ago.
She didn’t know Simon had gone on vacation but claims Simon called her a couple of weeks ago and said she was lonely.
“What was she doing over there? The kids were in school,” said Mary Lou. “If you find the kids, bring them to me. I’ll take care of them. Those kids are real sweet.”
The little girl reportedly told police that she found a beer on the sidewalk and brought it to Simon. The investigating officer alleges that Simon smacked the girl on her forehead at one point, leaving a red mark.
“I can’t believe Suzanne would do something like that. That’s not Suzanne,” added Mary Lou.
Police say the 12-year-old boy was picked up by two strangers and brought back to his hotel.
News of Simon’s alleged actions after a day of drinking made headlines in the Citizen Newspaper in the Keys.
The newspaper says Simon told an officer that “he should put the boy in juvenile detention as a runaway.”
“Knowing that she kicked him out of the car in the middle of Key West, Florida, I think that’s insane,” said Courtney Maris, who knows Simon.
Courtney Maris’ ex husband went on to marry Simon. That marriage, too, ended in divorce.
Maris says she has had a tumultuous relationship with Simon along the way.
“She was saying terrible things to me about what a terrible mother I was because I hadn’t seen my son. I’m here taking care of my children,” explained Maris.
KHOU 11’s attempts to reach Simon’s family were unsuccessful.
