The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
Parents of an infant in northeastern Florida were arrested last weekend after allegedly leaving the baby in the car with the engine running while they were drinking at a bar.
On the night of July 18, a 60-year-old man who is a new father was hanging out at the Smiles bar in Palm Coast. His wife, 28, was taking care of the baby, and she reportedly stopped by the bar to get money from him so she could go to the store. When she got out of the car, she allegedly left the infant alone in the vehicle with the engine running, the headlights on, and the doors unlocked. A woman spotted the car on her way into the establishment, and shortly after, she notified the authorities.
Deputies with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office went to the address, and they reported that the infant was unharmed and asleep in a car seat inside the vehicle. Approximately 10 minutes later, the child’s mother came outside. She talked to the deputies and explained that she did not want to expose her son to the smoke inside the bar while she picked up the money from her husband. She reportedly added that she had a few sips of a drink that she was handed, and said her husband was paying his tab so he could take the baby home. A bartender also confirmed that she had not been at the establishment for long.