April Brooks, Dauzree Mortica: Port St. Lucie cousins accused of leaving kids home alone to shoplift

April Brooks, left, and Dauzree Mortica are charged with child neglect and retail theft.
Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Regular Photo Size

Posted: 09/26/2012

ST. LUCIE COUNTY — Two cousins allegedly were shoplifting rings at a Treasure Coast mall store in Martin County while their children, ages 4 and 6, were alone in a home in Port St. Lucie, according to arrest records.

April Brooks, 26, of the 5500 block of Northwest East Torino Parkway, was arrested Sept. 14 on charges of child neglect and retail theft. Her cousin, Dauzree Mortica, 30, of the same apartment building, was arrested on the same charges.

The two children were left alone unsupervised for more than an hour starting about 6 p.m. Sept. 14, arrest reportsshow.

After the arrest, police were alerted that their children were at home and investigators found them safe and watching television.

A short time later, a family friend showed up and said he was called to check on them.

The children were placed with a relative for safekeeping. Brooks is out of the St. Lucie County Jail under a $3,000 bail. Mortica remains in custody at the Martin County Jail. Her arrest violated her probation on unrelated charges.