Update: Amber Lynn Dodd on April 11, 2022, pleaded to a reduced charge of a 1st degree misdemeanor and was sentenced to 12 months probation. Adjudication was withheld. The victim has died.
Amber Lynn Dodd, a 26-year-old Deltona woman who abandoned her 86-year-old grandmother at a Palm Coast gas station late Saturday night and drove on, is now facing a felony elderly neglect charge, though she has not been arrested.
The two had been driving for several hours. They’d been visiting family in Virginia. They’d also had arguments. According to a Flagler County Sheriff’s report, Dodd had been demanding that her grandmother sign over a deed to her home. The woman refused, upsetting Dodd. They’d stopped at the BP gas station on Palm Harbor Parkway. The older woman refused to get back in the car: her granddaughter had been yelling at her, and the volume of the music in the car had been too high. Dodd wouldn’t turn it down when asked.
“I told her I was going to leave her and she still didn’t get in the car,” Dodd told a sheriff’s deputy, who contacted her by phone. “So I left her because I’ve been driving with her and my daughter for six hours and I have to get home.” Dodd drove back to Deltona, where the family lives on Parma Drive.
When the deputy advised Dodd to drive back to Palm Coast to pick up her grandmother, Dodd said it would be a few hours. (The distance from Deltona to Palm Coast is about 55 miles, or less than an hour’s drive.)
A deputy contacted the Family Life Center, the shelter for victims of abuse, and took her there for the night. Dodd, the report states, ” displayed a blatant disregard for the well-being and safety of her 86 year old grandmother by leaving her at a location without any way to provide for herself, i.e. no phone, money, transportation, in a foreign area, deliberately placing her in danger, which did and would cause any reasonable person psychological and mental
distress.” The behavior was “an effort to coerce her into signing over her residence,” resulting in the criminal charge.
“It is disgusting that a granddaughter thought that she could coerce her elderly grandmother into signing over the deed to her home and when she wouldn’t, she abandoned her in an area that she did not know,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “Fortunately, she was abandoned in Flagler County where we take elder abuse very seriously and now Dodd can explain her actions to the judge.” Dodd is apparently not a stranger to Flagler, nor to its court system: when she was a teenager eight years ago she lived on Russo Drive, and was assessed a fine for hanging out at Shell Bluff Park, the county park, after hours (she was spotted there near 2 a.m. one Saturday morning.) She paid the fine.
Dennis C Rathsam says
Why does all the scum on the earth, find Palm Coast? God bless that poor woman.
Fran says
Grandma needs to put her estate in a trust and leave granddaughter out of it. Give to animal shelters . A dog would have been better to grandma than granddaughter.
Chuck bird says
She made it from Virginia to Palm Coast in 6 hours???? I’m from Virginia. Give her a speeding ticket if not reckless driving! 600 miles from Palm Coast to Va. State line = 100+MPH.
Amber says
My brother lives in Virginia and demanded I come and pick my grandma up because he couldn’t handle her so I agreed to meet him half way in South Carolina
ASF says
And Ms. Dodd has a minor daughter? That fact sets off alarm bells as well!
Lois says
Your grandmother has every right to keep her home and not be coerced into signing it over to you. At this point I would recommend that you receive nothing from her and you are not entitled to it. This is the very first post that I have responded to because if you are outrageous behavior.
Concerned citizen says
Regarding the story of amber dodd, someone should be sent to the home to see how this elderly woman has to live. It is nasty. I mean nasty! Amber just married a man she knew 4 days and I think he’s behind her wanting the deed. I fear for her life.
Barbara Plattner says
OMG! Somebody please investigate this! Can Sheriff Staley coordinate with Deltona PD?
Jan says
Wow! Definitely talk to someone… her other child is in danger also! This Amber sounds like a real piece of work.
Palm coast says
One question she was driving from Virginia, wtf she was doing in the F section of palm coast ? It’s not in any way on the way to Deltona ? Just saying
Mathilda lad says
Prayers for the grandmother and the child. If grandmother owns the home the city/county/state should insist Amber move out. There must be other family. Grandmother make a will Amber deserves nothing!
Shark says
Wo – just because she was hanging out in a park after hours, she’s a terrible person. I can recall a sheriff’s deputy hanging out in a park and drinking with juveniles and he is still working for Staley!!!!
Susan says
A court appointed guardian should be appointed. DCF should be checking on child. This happens more than realized although not always to this extent. I signed home over to a relative as I’m stage 4 cancer & now that I’m still alive want to sell it as I’ve paid extensive renovations, taxes, etc. he will only agree to selling it if he gets all the money.
Richard says
You should have put the house in a Living Trust. Never sign over the deed to your house to ANY relative for ANY reason. Nowadays it is not necessary. Consult a reputable attorney for proper advice.
Steve says
Yuep. Death and or Mental Physical Incapacity activates Successors , Who gets What and No Probate. A House is the easiest
Mark says
Flagler County Sheriff and Flagler State Attorney did outstanding work on changing, arresting and conviction Amber on the elderly abuse. The only issue that couldn’t be resolved was the coercion of the house. The house is in Volusia county and the Sheriff department there don’t see any coercion. Also, while the victim was in nursing care Amber managed to empty the victim’s bank account and sold the victim’s belongings on Facebook(i.e. refrigerator, etc..) The victim was suffering with Dementia and was taken advantage by Amber until the last days of the victim life and passing away.
Mark Kisielewski says
Amber Dodd and her husband Jonathan Perez managed to drain out Hester Schnueringer’s bank while she was in a nursing home. After Hester passed they took what could out of the house and sold all of her personal belongings. Unfortunately, because they managed to coerce Hester in signing a invalid quit claim deed the family were not able to stop the theft. The Volusia county sheriff’s department did a very poor job on investigating the coercion. It’s now a on going civil court case to recover the house. I, as the Executor of the Will & Testament have already spent over $20,000 on legal fees. If the Volusia county sheriff’s department would have done their job this never should have happened!