A Florida couple was arrested last week after Flagler County deputies found an infant sleeping in a running vehicle outside Palm Coast bar.
The sheriff’s office reported receiving a call concerning an infant just after 10 p.m. on Friday. Deputies arrived to discover the baby “asleep in a car seat that was not properly secured in the back seat.” Moreover, the vehicle was found unlocked, with the keys in the ignition and the engine running.
While the deputies were checking on the baby, a woman later identified as 28-year-old Clarisse Finnegan emerged from the bar. She claimed ownership of the vehicle and mentioned that her husband, 60-year-old Norman Finnegan Jr., was inside the establishment. She described him, allowing the deputies to retrieve him from the bar.
Clarisse Finnegan explained to deputies that she had entered the bar to use the restroom and to obtain money from her husband “needed for caring for the infant.” She stated that after exiting the bar, she re-entered to check if her husband was prepared to depart. She then stepped outside while he settled the bill, at which point she encountered the deputies.
A witness, however, reported seeing a man come out and look into the vehicle at about 10:15 p.m.
The Finnegans’ statements conflicted with each other about how long Clarisse Finnegan was in the bar, the sheriff’s office said, and witnesses said they were both inside drinking.
“These two will never receive parents of the year award with this behavior,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “It’s never acceptable to leave an infant alone inside a running vehicle — especially while inside a bar drinking. This kind of recklessness could have ended in tragedy. I want to thank the concerned citizen who reported this incident and our deputies who acted quickly to protect this innocent child.”
The Finnegans were both charged with child neglect without great bodily harm. The husband was released on a $2,500 bond, while the wife was released on her own recognizance.
The sheriff’s office said that the state Department of Children and Families is also investigating.
