Parents arrested for child sunburn

DAYTONA BEACH SHORES, Fla. (WKMG) – Two parents were arrested for child neglect after hotel staff alerted police, fearing for the safety of two children.

It happened at the Hawaiian Inn in Daytona Beach Shores Thursday afternoon. The family was visiting from Alabama.

According to a Daytona Beach Shores Police report, “dispatch advised the intoxicated parents refused to take [their child] out of the sun.”

Staff at the hotel said the child appeared to be dehydrated and sunburnt, and the parents refused to take them inside.

Police released video Friday from their body cameras showing the investigation. It shows police arriving to the hotel and confronting the two parents, who were seen at a table drinking what appeared to be beers by the pool.

Police inquired about the children and were told they were in the room.

Rebecca El-Rhazouani and Mounir El-Rhazouani are said to be the foster parents of the 2- and 5-year-old children.

The video shows security telling police, “The child wanted to get out of the sun so bad that it was literally running to that door over there, screaming, trying to get into the door, and the father would not take the child inside.”

The video showed the El-Rhauzouanis being taken to the hotel where the children were alone. Rebecca El-Rhauzouani told police her child has Eczema, which explains why he appeared sunburnt, but police said the kids were alone in the room with beer and a pocket-knife all within reaching distance.

“My poor babies, oh, my gosh, my poor babies. I was going to put them to bed, I promise, I was going to get my stuff and put them to bed. Oh, my gosh,” the mother is heard telling police.

She said she had left them there and was running back down stairs only to get their belongings.

The couple was arrested for two counts of child neglect. They posted bond and had no comment as they left jail.