Father blames broken door after 2-year-old son wandered onto US 1 in dirty diaper

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — A man told Channel 9 that his pain medication and a broken back door are what led to his 2-year-old son wandering onto a busy Florida highway.

Jacob Krueger, 25, and the child's mother, 28-year-old Yajaira Tirado were both arrested on neglect charges after their son was found on the highway around 10:30 a.m. Monday with a dirty diaper and bug bites covering his arms.

"I'm sorry," Krueger told Channel 9 after walking out of jail Tuesday. "I didn't mean for it to come down to this."

Krueger explained that he and Tirado are on medications for conditions that he said kept them asleep during the ordeal. He also blamed a broken door at the home they rent as why his son was able to escape.

When asked why there wasn't any attempt to fix the door to prevent an incident like this, Krueger told Channel 9, "There's no way. Doesn't matter if I tried doing something to it."

Krueger went on to deny a responding deputy's claim that his home was littered with broken bottles and smelled like feces.

"I love my child. I want the best for them (and) don't ever want to hurt them," Krueger explained.

Officials said they had been to the home in 2018 for another case of child neglect in which Tirado was arrested after a 1-year-old and 2-year-old were left at the home alone, according to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies said the toddler found crossing the highway was placed in the custody of the Department of Children and Families.

Tirado remains in the Volusia County Jail.