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Sex Offender Arrested in Killing of 8-Year-Old

A registered sex offender has been arrested in connection with the killing of an 8-year-old Jacksonville girl, the Tampa Bay Times reports. Authorities say Donald James Smith abducted the girl from a Walmart, where he took her and her mother to buy them some clothes. He served time for abduction in 1993 and has a history of arrests, including one for impersonating a social worker.

In a completely separate case, authorities say a 3-year-old boy died after his parents forgot him in a car while they attended a funeral in Manatee County. As the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reports, it’s the 15th time a child has died this year in a hot car. 

Originally founded in December 2006 as an independent grassroots publication dedicated to coverage of health issues in Florida, Health News Florida was acquired by WUSF Public Media in September 2012.