GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Two women have been arrested following a disturbing child abuse investigation involving two young girls found locked inside a shed in Waldo, Florida, according to the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ASO).
Deputies first arrested Sabine Thrift, 59, of Georgia, after she was accused of leaving two five-year-old girls—her granddaughters—unattended in a shed with no electricity or running water.
Further investigation led to the arrest of the children’s mother, Tamara Stoiber, 37, of Live Oak. Deputies say Stoiber had dropped off her daughters at the property unannounced and left with her boyfriend, claiming they had “walked from Gainesville to Waldo.”
Witnesses told deputies that Stoiber showed up soaking wet with the children, ate a full sandwich meant for them, and then disappeared. Thrift, who was left to care for the girls, admitted post-Miranda that she sat with them for about two hours before leaving them alone in the shed for another two hours.
The shed, located near a busy highway, lacked basic necessities and contained a knife within reach of the children. The door was reportedly blocked with a brick, preventing the girls from exiting.
Thrift was arrested early Saturday morning and charged with felony child neglect. Her bond was set at $20,000.
Stoiber was arrested an hour later and is also facing child neglect charges, with bond set at $70,000.
Deputies stated the shed was clearly unsuitable for habitation, raising serious safety concerns.
