A Florida woman tried to sell her 18-month-old daughter for $500 and then left her on the street when she couldn’t find any buyers, police said.
Jessica Woods, 33, was arrested and charged with child neglect and abandonment, selling or surrendering minor for property or money, and three counts of child abuse after the incident that unfolded outside a business in Palatka.
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Jessica Woods, 33, allegedly tried to sell her young daughter to a stranger. (Putnam County Sheriff’s Office)
Woods was loitering around the business with her daughter on March 5, the Palatka Police Department said Wednesday. She had been around the area for a few days.
An employee of the unidentified business asked Woods if she needed assistance. Woods refused any help but offered to sell the child, police said.
“When the citizen refused to purchase the child, Woods walked away, leaving her daughter behind,” a police statement said.
The employee took the child to the police department and told officers what allegedly happened. The girl was handed over to the Department of Children and Families and has since been placed in foster care.
Woods was arrested on March 7 and is being held on $255,000 bail at the Putnam County jail, according to jail records.
