BAY LAKE, Fla. — A woman looking to visit the "Most Magical Place on Earth" ended up behind bars when she attempted to hide a loaded gun in a planter at Disney's Ticket and Transportation Center, deputies say.
The eagle eye of an AdventHealth employee taking guests' temperatures at the entrance of the park was said to have set the investigation in motion.
According to law enforcement, the employee said they watched 27-year-old Marcia Temple "take something from a stroller," walk over and place the item behind plants at the security area before walking through. A Disney security manager was notified, and that's when the Orange County Sheriff's Office stepped in.
According to a news release, a deputy went over to the planter and found an abandoned purse with a gun inside. As the deputy was examining the discovery, Marica Temple walked up to her and said "ma'am that's mine," court documents say.
But authorities say her story on how the purse arrived behind the planter differs from that of the employee who reported it.
An arrest affidavit states, when asked why she would have a gun in Disney World, Temple blamed her 6-year-old son who she says was told to hold it.
"I had told my son to hold it for me and stand right here while I go get my brother. He put it down and messed with the plants and I put them back, but I didn't know he put it down and I didn't know he left it over here," an arrest affidavit quotes Temple explaining.
Through further investigation, the deputy found the gun was holding 10 rounds, with one in the chamber.
Temple was charged with carrying a concealed firearm and was given a trespass warning, which prohibits her from returning to all Walt Disney World property.
A DCF investigator was also alerted to a child being present during the incident, according to an arrest report.
What other people are reading right now:
- Trump, Biden will both campaign on Thursday in Tampa
- Can I change my vote in Florida? Google search spikes after President Trump's tweet
- NHC monitoring system in southwestern Caribbean Sea, could become tropical depression next week
- Florida man accused of changing Gov. DeSantis' voter information
- NFL plans to limit capacity at Super Bowl LV in Tampa
- 3 ways election night 2020 could be different
- What you need to know about the 6 constitutional amendments on Florida ballots
►Breaking news and weather alerts: Get the free 10 Tampa Bay app
►Stay In the Know! Sign up now for the Brightside Blend Newsletter
