Pasco mother admits she left three kids home alone to have sex with neighbor; kids wander to highway

NEW PORT RICHEY - A New Port Richey mother admitted to police she left three kids home alone -- one as young as ten months old -- while she went to a neighbor's house for sex.

The Pasco County Sheriff's Office says while Crystal Rusaw was out, the kids wandered from the house, up the street, and crossed a busy highway.

Investigators say a witness may have saved their lives by stopping them and getting help.

The kids range in age from four years to ten months. Investigators say the youngest was only wearing a urine-filled diaper.

Rusaw later admitted to leaving the kids to go to a neighbor's house for sex, where she also fell asleep.

"It could have been tragic," said Joan Miller, who was almost brought to tears when she learned what happened. "It's just unbelievable."

Other neighbors weren't surprised by the arrest, saying they have seen the children playing in the street by themselves 'all the time.'

"I just see toys, and little kids always running and walking, and riding bicycles unsupervised down the street," says William Gray who lives down the street.

Deputies arrested Rusaw on Saturday. She has since bonded out of jail. Nobody appeared to be at her home Monday evening.

ABC Action News spoke briefly to Rusaw's boyfriend off-camera.  He said he was out of town all last week and found out what happened when he returned.

He tells us the children are staying with a relative.