Mom & Grandmother Arrested After Twin 5-Year-Olds Were Found Locked in Shed

Alachua County Sheriff/Facebook

Two Florida women were arrested after deputies responded to a report of a pair of 5-year-old children found abandoned and locked inside a shed, according to the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies responded to a call early Saturday from a concerned citizen. The person reported that two children had been found left alone in Waldo, a small town east of Gainesville, according to a social media post from the sheriff’s office.

Witnesses had found the two children inside a shed. They told deputies the children had been locked inside the shed with a brick placed against the door, “apparently to prevent them from leaving,” the post stated.

“The shed had no electricity or running water, and deputies noted that a large knife was within the children’s reach. They had been left without food or any way to call for help,” it continued.

Witnesses identified two women connected to the incident. The investigation found that Tamara Stoiber, 37, had left the children in the care of Sabine Thrift, 59, but Thrift reportedly refused to supervise them.

“Stoiber claimed she had only stepped away for a quick errand, but was gone for several hours,” the post stated.

Thrift was arrested and charged with two counts of child neglect. She was booked into the Alachua County Jail with a $20,000 bond.

Stoiber was also arrested and deputies determined she had left the children without adequate supervision or basic necessities, including food, water and access to a phone.

She was charged with two counts of child neglect and two counts of false imprisonment, and booked into the Alachua County Jail with a $70,000 bond.

“The safety and well-being of children remain a top priority for our agency,” the post stated. “We are committed to protecting children from neglect and abuse, and we encourage the community to report any concerns involving child welfare. Together, we can help ensure every child has a safe environment to grow and thrive.”

—Richard Tribou

©2025 Orlando Sentinel. Visit orlandosentinel.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child), or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.