Florida mother arrested after driving with teen on hood of car

Published 2:20 pm Wednesday, April 22, 2015

A Florida mother who drove with her teen son on the hood of her car has been arrested for child abuse after he was injured and hospitalized after falling off the car’s hood.

32-year-old Bridget Garcia was arrested Monday night by Port St. Lucie, Florida, authorities and was initially held on $500 bail as of Tuesday, a local NBC affiliate reported.

According to police, Garcia’s 13-year-old son became upset after she took his cellphone away and planned to leave him at home alone while she left with his siblings. Following a brief altercation with her son, Garcia put her other three children in her car and prepared to leave the family home.

As she backed out of the driveway, Garcia’s 13-year-old son jumped on the hood of the car. Garcia continued to back out of the driveway about 200 feet and put the put the car in drive before driving another 200 feet with her son on the hood of the car, police reported, before stopping not far from the home.

As she stopped the car, Garcia’s son fell off the hood of the car, injuring his hip, right knee, and foot in the process. Realizing that the boy was hurt, Garcia then contacted 911, police reported.

Following the incident, Garcia’s son was taken to an area hospital and treated for an injured hip and abrasions to his right knee and foot, none of which were life-threatening. None of Garcia’s other children were injured during the incident.

Garcia was arrested and taken to the St. Lucie County Jail for booking. According to Master Sgt. Frank Sabol, she bonded out of jail on Tuesday. Despite the paid bail, the child abuse charge against Garcia still stands, Sabol said.