Man charged with child abuse after police chase, throwing children over fence

IONA, Fla. — A 25-year-old North Fort Myers man faces multiple felony charges after deputies said he lead deputies on a chase with three young children in his vehicle, then throwing the children over a 71-inch privacy fence following a crash.

Larry Antonio Rada Jr. was arrested Sept. 14 and charged with three counts of child neglect without great bodily harm and three counts of child abuse, according to the Lee County Sheriff's Office.

Police Chase and Crash

In a police report, it said the incident began Sept. 13 when a deputy said he saw Rada driving a black Infiniti with Michigan plates "recklessly" northbound on San Carlos Boulevard in the Fort Myers Beach area.

When the deputy activated his lights and sirens to conduct a traffic stop, Rada "proceeded to do a complete 360 around his patrol vehicle and speed away," the report states.

The deputy said he deactivated his emergency lights and did not pursue the vehicle. However, he was soon flagged down by several drivers near San Carlos Boulevard and Linda Loma Drive who reported the suspect vehicle had crashed into a ditch.

A witness said he saw "the driver of the vehicle flee with three young children from the vehicle" after the crash.

Video Evidence of Suspected Child Abuse

The most serious allegations stem from surveillance video that captured Rada's actions after fleeing the crash scene.

A witness gave deputies Ring camera footage showing Rada "grab each one of the children and hurl them over his privacy fence, which was measured to be approximately 71 inches tall, in a manner with blatant disregard for the children's safety," according to the report.

The video shows Rada throwing "all three victims one by one over the fence in a manner with gross disregard for their safety," investigators wrote. "During this time, the victims can be heard crying in apparent distress."

Children Hospitalized

All three children were transported to Golisano Children's Hospital for medical evaluation. One child "began to vomit profusely" while being removed from the home, and "all three children complained of pain in various parts of their bodies," the report states.

While the children reported head and abdominal pain from being involved in the traffic crash, "none of the children had any visible injuries" and trauma workups "resulted in no injuries being located," the report said.

Multi-Agency Investigation

The Florida Department of Children and Families also launched a parallel investigation.

Rada was interviewed at the sheriff's office headquarters Sept. 14 after being read his Miranda rights, though details of that interview were redacted from the public report.

Court Appearance

Rada is scheduled to appear in court Oct. 13 at 8:30 a.m.

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