The husband and wife are accused of leaving their infant child inside a car that was running and unlocked while they were inside a bar drinking. The incident allegedly occurred in Florida.
According to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, both Clarisse Finnegan, whom is 28 years old, and Norman Finnegan, who is 60 years old, have been charged with the felony offense of neglecting a child without causing grave physical harm. An event that occurred on Friday night led to the filing of the accusations.
At approximately 10:20 p.m., the sheriff’s office received a call from 911 regarding a youngster who had been left unattended in a vehicle outside of the Smiles bar in Palm Coast, which is located approximately 60 miles south of Jacksonville. An newborn was found “improperly secured in a car seat” in the back right seat of a white Volkswagen Passat, according to an arrest document. The deputies who arrived at the scene reported seeing the youngster.
In the video that was supplied by the sheriff’s office, responding law enforcement officers discussed the possibility of breaking a car window in order to gain in. However, they later found that the car was already unlocked, with the key in the ignition, and the air conditioner was already running. “The infant appeared to be in good health, was sleeping in the car seat, and did not appear to have any injuries to him,” the statement continued. “He was sleeping without any apparent injuries.”
After the deputies had arrived, a woman left the pub and approached one of them, telling him that the automobile was hers. This occurred less than ten minutes after the cops had arrived. A later investigation revealed that she was, in fact, Clarisse Finnegan, as stated in the affidavit. She was promptly placed in handcuffs and questioned by law authorities, during which she disclosed that she was not present in the bar by herself; rather, her husband was present there.
Norman Finnegan was taken into custody after a deputy entered the building and, according to Clarisse Finnegan’s account, led him out of the building. Deputies were informed by a bartender working inside Smiles that both the husband and wife had been drinking, but that Clarisse Finnegan “had not been there long” and just had “a little bit” to drink. This information is included in the affidavit regarding the incident.
Next, the authorities had a conversation with the witness who had called them. The woman stated that she arrived at the pub at ten o’clock at night and saw the Volkswagen with its lights on and the engine running. Approximately fifteen minutes later, she witnessed a man leave the pub, peek into the vehicle, and then return to the establishment where he had just left.
According to the witness’s report, “[The witness] stated that no other individuals approached the vehicle, and the older white male only came out of the vehicle once.”
After that, both the husband and the wife shared their perspectives on what had transpired.
In spite of the fact that she was keeping an eye on their child at their residence, Clarisse Finnegan went to the bar in order to obtain money from her husband so that she could purchase “necessities” for their child at CVS. The reason she left the boy inside the institution was because “Smiles allowed smoking inside of the establishment.” She stated that she had just been at the bar for around ten minutes.
She stepped outside to check on her child, and then she went back to the bar, where she asked her husband if she could take him home. She added that she had gone outside to observe her child. “A drink” was then “given to her” by the bartender, but she only took “a few sips,” according to the affidavit. During the moment that her husband was going to pay the bill at the bar, she walked outside, where she was subsequently detained by the law enforcement officers.
The narrative of Norman Finnegan then came next. On that particular Friday evening, he had been at the bar at approximately 8:30 p.m. in order to “get away” for a couple of hours. He also mentioned that his infant “gets fussy when he is not around or home and that Clarisse is a new mother.”
After some time had passed, he was confronted by his wife, who requested “his assistance” handling their child. He insisted that his wife went out twice to check on the infant while she was at the bar, despite the fact that his statements on the length of time she was there were “inconsistent,” as the deputies pointed out.
When the couple was taken into custody, a friend of Norman Finnegan’s was asked to look after the child he was responsible for. The pair was both detained at the Flagler County Detention Facility as they were being held there.
Clarisse Finnegan was freed on her own recognizance, according to the sheriff’s office, while Norman Finnegan was released the next morning on a bond of $2,500. They were both brought before the court on Tuesday.
According to a statement released by the Sheriff of Flagler County, Rick Staly, “These two will never receive the parents of the year award when they continue to behave in this manner.” It is never acceptable to leave a newborn alone inside a car that is running, and this is especially true while alcohol is being consumed inside of a bar. This kind of irresponsibility had the potential to result in a tragic outcome. The concerned person who reported this occurrence, as well as our deputies who responded immediately to safeguard this innocent child, are both people I would like to express my gratitude to.
There is also an investigation being conducted by the Department of Children and Families in the state of Florida.
