Courtesy photo/Jail mug. Jessica Kalstek, 23, of New Smyrna Beach, is accused of leaving her two children, 2 and 6, home alone for 40 minutes with an open oven in the kitchen while 4-wheeling with her boyfriend in the woods.
NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A 23-year-old New Smyrna Beach woman was charged Thursday with child neglect after Volusia County Sheriff's deputies said she left her two children, 2 and 6, alone in her Elizabeth Street mobile home just outside the city limits while she went 4-wheeling in the woods for 40 minutes with her boyfriend.
Jessica Kalsteck was charged with the felony and sent to the Volusia County Branch Jail on $500 bail. Sheriff's deputies reported the over was left on to provide heat for the children and was red hot.
Deputies responded after noise complaints about the 4-wheeling during the early morning hours. The Department of Children and Families was also called in and released the children to the temporary custody of Kalstek's parents.
Neighbor and close friend Judy Lycette told FOX 35 News of Orlando that she felt the arrest was not necessary and that the young mother simply made an error in judgment.
"They are such fantastic parents, they don't deserve what they have gotten. they really don't," the neighbor told the TV news outlet.
Deputies filed a complaint affidavit for the arrest of Kalsteck's boyfriend, Brian King, who is the children's father, after they couldn't relocate them.
Kalsteck told deputies she and King went out to help friends stranded and didn't intend to be gone morre than 10 minutes.