Inset: Larry Rada Jr. (Lee County Sheriff's Office). Background: The intersection of San Carlos Boulevard and Linda Loma Drive in Lee County, Florida (Google Maps).
A man in Florida has avoided jail time after admitting to running from police with three young children in tow and launching them over a fence in his attempt to escape.
Larry Rada pleaded nolo contendere — or no contest — to charges of child abuse, racing on a roadway, fleeing to elude a law enforcement officer at a high speed or wanton disregard, and driving while license suspended or revoked, according to Lee County court records reviewed by Law&Crime.
He was subsequently ordered to serve one year of community control followed by four years of probation.
Rada was originally charged last September at the age of 26 with three counts of cruelty toward a child, three counts of child neglect, and hit-and-run, among other charges, as Law&Crime previously reported.
On Sept. 13, 2025, a Lee County Sheriff's Office deputy was patrolling around the area of Fort Myers Beach when he saw a black Infiniti with Michigan plates "driving recklessly," according to a probable cause statement reviewed by Law&Crime.
The law enforcement officer tried to conduct a traffic stop, but the sedan did "a complete 360 around his patrol vehicle" and sped away.
The sheriff's deputy "did not pursue the vehicle further," but as he continued driving, "he was flagged down by several drivers in the area." Rada's vehicle had apparently "crashed into a ditch."
The officer arrived at the location — the intersection of San Carlos Boulevard and Linda Loma Drive — and spoke with multiple witnesses. Rada had fled from the car with three young children, one witness reportedly said. He was apparently the uncle of two of the children and the father of the other.
Authorities said there was surveillance footage of Rada "cutting across his backyard with all three victims, approaching a locked gate, and proceeding to toss all three victims over the fence," which measured 5.92 feet high, the probable cause statement read.
The children "appeared to be in distress and crying" as they approached the fence and were "hurl[ed]" over, "in a manner with blatant disregard for the children's safety," authorities wrote. One of the children later "began to vomit profusely, and all three children complained of pain in various parts of their bodies."
Rada jumped over the fence himself, fell, and disappeared into the backyard, the court document continues. The children were later seen to be "covered in dirt stains." Rada was arrested at his home, and the kids were brought to a hospital, where a doctor "explained that all three victims had presented to the emergency room with pain in their head and abdomen and reported being involved in a traffic crash in which Rada was driving."
The since-convicted defendant had apparently picked the children up from school the previous afternoon and was set to spend a few days with them. One of the women said she last spoke to Rada on Saturday at about 6:30 p.m. when he said the kids "were doing well." However, Rada's brother later told her about the crash, authorities said.
"Throughout the interview, Rada maintained that he knew what he did was wrong but was scared to return to prison," the court document stated.
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