Florida Couple Goes Drinking, Leaving Infant in Running Car Outside Bar

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 said it was called about the infant just after 10 p.m. on Friday. Deputies arrived and found the baby “sleeping in a car seat seat that was improperly secured in the back seat.” Further, the vehicle was unlocked with the keys in the ignition and vehicle running.

As deputies assessed the baby, a woman later identified as 28-year-old Clarisse Finnegan came out of the bar and approached. She identified herself as the owner of the vehicle and said her husband, 60-year-old Norman Finnegan Jr., was inside the bar. She provided a description, and deputies went inside and brought him out.

Clarisse Finnegan told deputies that she had gone inside to use the restroom and get money from her husband “for necessities to care for the infant.” She said she went back outside, then returned to see if her husband was ready to leave. She came outside while he paid the tab, she said, and immediately 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.