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Toddler left outside overnight during Hurricane Irma turned purple, police say

Posted at 2:18 PM, Sep 16, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-16 15:37:10-04

A Florida man was arrested after police say he left his 19-month-old daughter outside overnight during Hurricane Irma.

Angelo Mitchell, 36, of Jasper, Florida, faces a charge of child cruelty related to the Sunday incident.

According to Tallahassee's WCTV, the girl's mother called police Monday morning, telling them Mitchell had taken their daughter away the night before and when she saw him again on Monday, the girl wasn't with him.

Police searched the area for the girl but were unable to find her. Mitchell allegedly denied ever taking her, telling officers she was probably with a family friend, according to WCTV.

At about 11:30 a.m. local time on Monday, someone found the girl in the yard of a house about 500 yards away.

Police said the girl's skin had turned purple after she'd spent the entire night outside during the storm being battered by wind and rain. The girl also had scratches and bug bites on her body, according to WCTV. She was hospitalized for a day before being able to go back home.

Mitchell appeared to be "under the influence of something," police reported, according to Tallahassee's WTXL.

Clint Davis is a reporter for the Scripps National Desk. Follow him on Twitter @MrClintDavis. Keep up to date with the latest news by following @ScrippsNational on Twitter.