Kids love pizza. I did. My nieces and nephews do. Apparently for this three year old, Papa Johns was her pizzeria of choice.
Patrons of Papa Johns in Gainesville, Va got quite a surprise when the little girl walked into the eatery. It was pitch black out. No one could figure out who the child belonged to, so they called 911.
It turns out that the little girl was supposed to be at the Kiddie Academy not too far from the restaurant. The person in charge at the time was Nayoung Park. She obviously didn't notice the girl had gone missing, as the police were able to contact the girls parents and released custody back to them.
Park is being charged with felony child neglect and has been released on bond. Another parent of children at the facility wasn't even aware the incident occurred until interviewed about it by the news.
The Kiddie Academy released the following statement:
"Due to an unfortunate incident where a child left the premises unsupervised during Date Night on Saturday, November 19, Our Director, was placed on indefinite administrative leave from the Kiddie Academy of Gainesville. The academy also self-reported the incident to the state child care licensing body. Because the academy has a policy of open communication, every parent was notified by email about this incident. While the incident was unprecedented at the Kiddie Academy of Gainesville, we take the safety and care of all our students seriously, and we were relieved that the child was safely returned to the parents without harm.
The Directors' tenure here was predicated by all qualifications required by the state, and she exceeded the rigorous standards we keep for our staff. We will cooperate with the investigation following the charges filed against her. The Kiddie Academy of Gainesville will continue to comply with all state and educational licensing standards and requirements, putting the safety of the children in our care at the forefront of all of our activities."
Just to give you an idea where Papa Johns is in relation to Kiddie Academy.
Which means this girl, at night, crossed the street to get there.
http://www.fox5dc.com/news/220891909-story