PALATKA, FL (LOOTPRESS) – A mother tried selling her baby for 500 dollars; after the person refused to purchase the child, the mother left her child behind.
On March 5, 2024, Jessica Woods, 33, of Palatka, was loitering around a local business with her 18-month-old daughter. Woods had been observed around the business with her daughter for a few days.
An anonymous citizen contacted Woods and asked if she and the child needed any assistance. The anonymous citizen was an employee of the business and only knew Woods because she had frequented the area. Woods told the citizen she did not need anything but offered to sell the child to the citizen for $500.00. When the citizen refused to purchase the child, Woods walked away, leaving her daughter behind.
The citizen picked the child up and immediately brought her to the Palatka Police Department, where she informed Officers of what happened. Palatka Police Officers, with the assistance of the Department’s Victim Advocate, provided care to the child until the Department of Children and Families responded and took custody of her. The child has since been placed in foster care.
As a result of an investigation, Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Woods, charging her with child abuse, child neglect, and abandonment of a child. Woods was located and arrested on March 7, 2024, and transported to the Putnam County Jail.
No further information is available.
