PALM COAST, Fla. — A Palm Coast couple was arrested late Friday night after leaving an infant unattended in a running vehicle outside a bar, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responded to a tip received shortly after 10 p.m. and found the infant sleeping in an improperly secured car seat in the back of an unlocked vehicle with the engine running.
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“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.”
The incident occurred outside a bar in Palm Coast, where deputies found the vehicle with the keys in the ignition, according to a Flagler County Sheriff’s Office news release.
Clarisse Finnegan, 28, approached the vehicle while deputies were assessing the situation and identified herself as the owner. Her husband, Norman Finnegan Jr., 60, was inside the bar at the time.
A witness reported seeing a male exit the bar, check the vehicle, and then reenter the bar around 10:15 p.m., the news release states.
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Clarisse claimed she initially went inside to use the restroom and get money from Norman for necessities for the infant. However, witnesses confirmed both were drinking inside the bar, the news release states. The couple gave conflicting statements about Clarisse’s time inside the bar.
The couple were charged with felony child neglect without great bodily harm and taken to the Flagler County jail. The Florida Department of Children and Families is also investigating the incident, the news release states.
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