Florida Mother Arrested After Leaving Three Children Alone in Truck with Loaded Gun

In Riviera Beach, Florida, a mother, TorQuita Griffin, was arrested after her three children, ages 20 months, 5 years, and 16 years, were found alone in a running tractor-trailer for several hours with a loaded 9mm handgun unsecured on the floorboard. Police responded to reports of the truck idling at a gas pump for about three hours, finding the children inside and discovering the loaded gun. Griffin, who holds a concealed weapons permit, acknowledged ownership of the firearm and said she left the children briefly to buy food. She faces multiple charges including child neglect, child abuse, and unsafe storage of a firearm, while the truck driver, identified as the children's father D’Ontai Lorenzo Williams Armstrong, was cited for trespassing. Authorities emphasized the serious risk posed by leaving children unattended with a loaded weapon, calling the situation potentially dangerous. The Florida Department of Children and Families is investigating and has confirmed the children are currently safe.