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Boca Dad Charged After Leaving Four Kids Home Alone, Including Playdate Guest

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POLICE: Wife Throws Eggs At Husband When Returns Home.

A close-up of a police officer securing handcuffs on a person's wrists, with the word 'ARRESTED' prominently displayed.

BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2026 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — Boca Raton resident Andrew Gold is facing four felony counts of child neglect after deputies say he walked out of the house with two duffle bags and left his 11-, 8- and 5-year-old sons home alone. Another family’s 5-year-old, dropped off for a playdate, was there too. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office arrested him Wednesday night.

Deputies went to the home around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday for a reported domestic battery, and the man told them his wife threw eggs at him when he got home after the two had been arguing. A deputy saw what looked like egg yolk stains on the back of his sweater. The wife allegedly admitted it, and deputies developed probable cause for simple domestic battery against her.

Andrew Gold
Andrew Gold, Courtesy Palm Beach County Jail.

Then she told them about the rest of the day. She was at school while her husband, who works from home, watched the boys. He called asking her to set up a playdate for their youngest, so she arranged for another 5-year-old to come over. Around 10:30 a.m., she says, he texted her: “I’m leaving home now fyi. Deal with that.” Their 11-year-old called next, saying dad was leaving with two duffle bags. She canceled her class and rushed home. The father first denied taking the bags, then said he waited until he knew his wife was on her way — a claim deputies say doesn’t match the son’s account that the car was already gone from the driveway.

The arrest report cites Department of Children and Families and American Academy of Pediatrics guidance that children under 12 generally shouldn’t be left home unsupervised. It also notes a swimming pool in the home’s courtyard with a safety barrier that wouldn’t stop a curious child. The man was booked shortly after 11 p.m. on four counts of neglect of a child without great bodily harm.

We remind readers that charges filed by law enforcement agencies are allegations and that all criminal defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. We also remind readers that civil court filings are allegations made by the party filing suit. The validity of those allegations will be determined in court. If you are the subject of reporting that you believe is inaccurate, please email us immediately at clarification@bocanewsnow.com.

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