Deputies said the 8-year-old girl had scars, marks and reports of being left alone overnight.
MIAMI, FL — A northwest Miami-Dade woman was arrested Saturday after deputies said her 8-year-old daughter reported being beaten, left alone for long periods and forced to eat expired food or food from the trash.
Naseline Timouche, 27, faces charges of aggravated child abuse causing great bodily harm and child neglect without great bodily harm. The case moved into court records after a welfare check at her home led deputies to interview the girl and a neighbor who said she had been helping the child with food, shelter and clean clothing. Timouche was taken to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center as investigators reviewed the girl’s statements, visible injuries and a partly redacted interview with detectives.
Deputies with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office went to Timouche’s home Saturday for a welfare check and found the girl with numerous scars and marks on her body, according to an arrest report. The child told investigators she had been hit many times with household items, including a cord, a frying pan and a spatula. She also said her mother sometimes woke her at night and struck her without a clear reason. In one account, the girl said Timouche hit her in the face with a charging cable. Deputies said the marks and scars they saw were consistent with what the child described.
The girl also told deputies she was often not fed at home and was not allowed to eat food in the residence because it was for “guests,” the report said. Investigators said the child reported eating expired food or food from the trash. She also said she was left home alone for extended periods, including overnight. A witness told deputies she met the girl about two months ago through another neighbor and had allowed her to stay at her house several times. The witness said she fed the girl and gave her clean clothes when the child was left alone.
The case drew attention after the neighbor told investigators she saw the girl walking alone Friday and again provided food and clean clothing, authorities said. Deputies later made contact with the child during the welfare check. The arrest report said Timouche made some kind of admission during an interview with detectives, but the exact statement was redacted from the public version of the report. Authorities did not release the child’s name. Officials also did not say where the girl was placed after the arrest or whether child welfare investigators had opened a separate protective case.
Under Florida law, aggravated child abuse is a first-degree felony when prosecutors allege conduct such as aggravated battery on a child, malicious punishment or abuse causing great bodily harm, permanent disability or permanent disfigurement. Child neglect without great bodily harm is listed as a third-degree felony. The charges are accusations, and Timouche has not been convicted. Court records and jail information available Monday listed her bond status as to be set or no bond, depending on the record cited by local outlets. A first appearance or bond hearing would be the next step if it had not already occurred.
Neighbors described a quiet residential scene shaken by the allegations. Simone Haritos, a neighbor interviewed by Local 10, said the accusations surprised her. “I think it is really sad,” Haritos said. She said she had tried to give the girl small items, including cookies and water, while avoiding conflict with the parent. The witness account in the arrest report put the neighbor’s role closer to the center of the case, saying she had provided food, shelter and clean clothing on several occasions after finding the child alone.
The investigation remained active Monday as the criminal case began moving through Miami-Dade court. Deputies have not announced additional arrests, and authorities have not released more details about the girl’s medical care, living arrangements or any pending child protection findings.
Author note: Last updated June 9, 2026.