A worrying incident in a Palm Coast parking lot in Flagler County, Florida, has proven once again that some people shouldn’t be parents after a couple of police officers discover a neglected baby in a car. To make matters worse, the car was unlocked, the baby was facing the front, and the parents? Well, they left their baby behind to drink and party at a nearby bar.
The footage was captured by the sheriffs themselves and their bodycam, following a response to a 911 call about a baby left alone in a car back on July 18 around 10 PM. The parents were nowhere to be found initially, and the female sheriff who responded was about to break the windows to access the baby in the car. To the sheriff’s surprise, that wasn’t necessary as the car wasn’t even locked.
It’s a good thing the sheriffs responded fast and rescued the infant, since apart from the car doors being unlocked, the engine was still running and the keys were still in the ignition. Additionally, it’s summer in Florida right now, and temperatures can reach as high as 110°F in certain spots.
The sheriffs were able to locate the parents eventually; the mother, 28-year-old Clarisse Finnegan, and the father, 60-year-old Norman Finnegan Jr., were in a nearby bar. The parents claimed that they kept checking on the baby and didn’t leave the infant long, but witness testimonies proved that the parents were lying.
“These two will never receive parents of the year award with this behavior. 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,” says Sheriff Rick Staly in a statement, courtesy of WFLA
They Left the Baby for Some Booze & Got Away With It
One witness claimed that they saw the baby alone as early as 10 PM and saw the father, Norman Jr., walking out of the bar to check on the baby at around 10:15 PM, contrary to what the mother, Clarisse, claimed about merely using the bar’s restroom. Other witnesses claimed that the parents were seen drinking at the bar.
And with that, Clarisse and Norman were arrested for felony child neglect and taken to Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility on a $2,500 bond. Meanwhile, the Florida Department of Children and Families has initiated an investigation for the sake of the baby, as the parents were released after paying bond.
Even so, people online were not so lenient on the couple. Many were still enraged at what Clarisse and Norman Jr. did to their baby, as it was no doubt irresponsible parenting, and a thousand bad things could’ve easily happened to their child.
“Car unlocked, turned off, no adult, kid front facing, light in the car on there’s so much wrong here ☹️,” worries averybby04 from the TikTok comments
“Nothing in this world makes me rage more than parents neglecting their children….,” fumes Ky | S A H M
“As an embalmer, that happens more often than you realize. Every time I see that in the files and they always request a cremation because it’s cheaper…poor children,” laments Elvis Addams
“IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A BABYSITTER THAN YOU DO NOT GO OUT!! SIMPLE!!!!” suggests keepinitreal247🌈
