Norman Finnegan, 60, and Clarisse Finnegan, 28, have been accused of leaving their infant child inside an unlocked and running car to go to a bar and drink. The couple has been charged with felony child neglect without great bodily harm. According to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, at approximately 10:20 p.m. on Friday night, a 911 call was dialed about an infant left unattended inside a car outside the Smiles bar in Palm Coast.
Upon arrival, the cops discovered that a child was in the back right seat of a white Volkswagen Passat. According to the arrest affidavit, the kid was “improperly secured in a car seat.” The officers initially planned to smash the car window to get inside. However, they realized that the car was unlocked and the key was left in the ignition with the air conditioning left on.
According to the police reports, the kid “appeared to be in good health, was sleeping in the car seat, and did not appear to have any injuries to him.”
Shortly after, a woman, later identified as Clarisse Finnegan, came outside from the bar and approached the cops. She told them that the car was hers. After she was put into handcuffs, she immediately told the police that her husband was also inside the bar. Based on her description, the cops arrested Norman Finnegan as well.
According to the report, a bartender working at Smiles told the cops that the couple had been drinking. However, they added that Clarisse was only there for a little while and also had “a little bit” to drink, as reported by Law & Crime.
The witness who dialed 911 revealed that she arrived at the bar around 10 p.m. and noticed the car outside with its lights and engine running. Fifteen minutes later, she noticed a man exiting the bar and then looking inside the vehicle to check something.
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The arrest affidavit mentions, “[The witness] stated no other persons approached the vehicle, and the older white male only came out one time.”
Following the arrest, Clarisse claimed that she only went to the bar to get a smoke, but then was “given a drink” by the bartender. However, she maintained that she only had “a few sips.” The woman further claimed that when she came outside, she was questioned by the deputies, while her husband was paying the bills inside.
Norman claimed that he arrived at the bar at 8:30 p.m. to “get away” for a few hours. His statement, however, failed to provide an exact timeline for how long his wife was there.
The couple was then arrested and kept at the Flagler County Detention Facility. A friend of theirs was assigned to take care of the child. The next morning, Norman was released on a $2,500 bond, while Clarisse was released on her own recognizance.
