On July 18th, 2025, we examine a legal incident in Palm Coast, Florida, involving vehicle safety laws and parental duty of care. This footage is presented for educational purposes regarding Florida's child safety statutes. >> This looks like they have the PC going. But >> one, a visual. Not only that, but that's unless they >> This woman, 28-year-old ClariS Finnegan, the mother of the six-month-old baby, and 60-year-old Norman Finnegan Jr., the father, were both found inside the bar drinking >> or public uh CVS. >> Your husband's inside? >> Mhm. >> What is he wearing? >> Black. >> He's wearing all black. >> Mhm. His shirt. >> Does he have like a hat on or anything? >> No. performance. >> Yes. >> But why do I have to have this? >> We're going to talk to you in just a minute. We're going to explain everything. >> Okay. I'm sorry. >> Give me a minute. Turn around. Put your phone in your back. >> I know. I told them I just come here to get cash. >> I come here to get cash from you cuz I don't work and I have to pee. >> Yeah. And my phone is over there. Can you please? >> Your phone's in the >> Cuz like I said, I have to pee and then check the baby real fast. >> I had to pee. The pitch just died in Orman Beach last night from this. I've been here. >> Babe, it's Hey, it's okay, babe. It's okay. I told them I need to get cash from you >> cuz they were here with the friend, you know, and I came here to get >> Norman the father had been in the bar for almost 3 hours while the mother claimed she had only been inside for less than 10 minutes and was only inside briefly to use the restroom. >> You're going to try it over here. >> Babe, it's okay, babe. He's a little bit stressed out, so I let him go out. >> Can we please grab my phone? >> I'm not going anywhere. >> Where's your phone at in the bar? >> Yeah, cuz I had to pee and then I just grab u you know, quick here because I didn't know I had to. I cannot bring him to the bathroom like that. >> Okay. >> Cuz there's smoking bar, you know. >> So, where's Did you guys come here together? >> No, I it was here and then I come here cuz I needed the cash. >> Which one's your vehicle or did you use >> this one? His is black one. Um I believe all the hair. >> Oh, >> he got here like maybe three hours. Babe, >> you got here three hours ago, right? >> Yeah. And I said I want to get cash to get a baby stuff for teing. >> Yeah, I get that. But >> at no point is it okay to leave a child in the car. >> Yeah, but they smoking bar co so I can't bring him over there. I had to pee. >> Yeah, but you put me like this. So, it's not like I'm going to run, but I understand. >> Do you want to come to the end of your trunk real quick? >> Huh? >> Do you want to come to your trunk real quick? And I can just have you lean up against the car so I don't have to hold you like this the whole time. You just want to lean up against the car? >> You can hold me how you want. It's fine. >> We're going to talk to you guys in a minute. Sir, I don't need you I don't need you talking to her. We're going to talk to both of you in a minute. >> And a smoking bar. I cannot bring the baby in there. That's why I run faster cuz >> it doesn't matter if it was a smoking bar at all. I had to be. >> Okay. >> I just wanted to get what we need from the store already. >> What's you guys' relationship? >> That's my husband. Okay. >> It's our baby. >> Okay. >> First baby. >> You guys live together? >> Yes. >> And everything. >> Mhm. >> You drive. I got here 3 hours ago and then I came out. I decided to come out when baby woke up. Am I going to jail? >> Like you said, we're going to talk about all that in a minute. >> The police officer then interviewed the person who first noticed the baby inside the car. All right. >> Can you just um mention in there that you when somebody came out and looked about what time and then >> put down 10 minutes. That's when we saw it. >> Just to confirm it was already here when you guys got here. >> Yes, it was. >> Okay. So, who knows how long? >> Who knows how long? >> Believe it or not, he does. He does come out with us. >> Yo, >> how old is Staley? >> I don't know. >> Probably like 50. No, he's like 70 something. >> Um, do you mind raising your right hand for me? >> Okay. Do you swear affirm the statement to be the truth to the best of your knowledge? >> Yes. >> All right. I appreciate it. >> I appreciate it so much. You guys have a great night. Thank you so much. >> How old is it, baby? >> Five. Uh, 6 months. Actually, today's 17, 18. >> I don't know what is today. [laughter] >> I don't know. Um, no, it's yesterday cuz I bought him stuff for like swimming and stuff cuz he likes water. He's just embarrassing. I just had to be I'm sorry. >> All right. >> No talking. >> I can fix the cuffs for you. >> The bar. >> I can fix Okay. Like I said, we're going to talk about that in a minute. If the cuffs are hurting you, I can fix >> hurting me because I have bad back problems. I was the first responder at 911. >> Okay. I got you. Sit up for me. >> Okay. >> I was at the bar. She came to get me. She was here maybe 5 minutes and I was paying my cab. >> Double cup is hurting your shoulder blades. So, we're going to swap out the cups for you real quick. Okay. >> I need more room for my phone right now. >> Hey, let her do not talk to her. I already >> No, she's my wife. >> I don't care if she's your wife. You both are being detained right now. You're not going to be screaming over at her. >> No, I'm not screaming at her. But you have no right to talk to her right now. >> She's an adult. She can make adult decisions. >> Clearly. >> Yes. >> Well, she's also my wife. Okay. >> You're not going to. >> So any statement that she makes without you reading her rights is inadmissible in court. >> Okay. >> You can come this way. >> Whatever. >> I was sitting there and she came to get me. >> Go ahead. >> Make sure you have my phone and and all the stuff off the bar, please. >> And pat him down. making sure he doesn't want to >> make sure these are double locked. >> I'm a little bit hurt cuz I was saying I should pay >> I asked her once when she came in as I was paying my tab go check him in the car and I just going to go right here for now. Okay. >> All right. >> We haven't interviewed her yet, right? >> We haven't interviewed either. I'm just going to read you something, okay? And then, like I said, we can discuss the situation. Okay? So, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a portable. With these rights in mind, are you willing to answer my questions now? >> Okay. So, how how did we get to where we're at right now where there is both of you inside of a bar? >> Because >> and there's a child in the car. >> Yeah. Bar is like before I even got pregnant, it's already I was known with everyone. say hi first before I leave. And then I asked him if he's ready. He's trying to pay his uh bill, >> you know, the paper. Tab. Yes. Tab. Yeah. He's trying to pay that and we will leave. I think they were ready. >> So I went to pay and then leave my phone in the table where he's sitting at. And then I just run here because the baby is alone. Yeah. So I was going to grab it back just to make sure he's okay. >> So why is the baby alone in the car? >> Because I couldn't bring him with me inside because it's smoking bar. It's a bar in general, >> right? The smoking bar >> where a kid does not belong, >> right? I just had to pee so bad like Yeah. And I have to get cash from him if he's not ready to go home yet. >> So, when did you guys get here? >> Like maybe 10 minutes when you guys are out here. Like I said, he was paying his tab, maybe getting ready to go and we go cuz you can ask a bartender. You already have the the paper ready. The one you sign when you pay and then you give them the the money. >> Okay. Did you guys get here >> at the same time? No. Was he okay? >> He was here 3 hours or more. >> Okay. He's been here for 3 hours or more. >> Mhm. It is actually my fault. I should have never come here. >> Well, >> cuz I I did. It's my fault. I let him go out by himself. Yeah. Cuz he had maybe a bad day like everybody does. >> At any point, did he come out to check on the child? >> Yeah. one time. >> The officer then spoke with the bar staff to get a clearer picture of what happened, what they saw, and how long the parents had been inside. >> He's adorable. >> Hello. >> Hi. >> Hi. >> So, is there anybody who's going to be willing to talk to me about what? >> About uh Mr. and Mrs. Finnegan, how long they've been here? >> I mean, she just got here. Literally just got here to pick him up. >> I honestly >> She walked in the door. I walked outside to set up my chair table. Gear would take about 10 minutes and I had just set up I was having too many problems. I had to stop. She might have been here 5 minutes. >> Yeah. Like that's that's her one and only shot. She didn't even sit. Like swear to God. >> Like legit. For real. >> Who is that you're talking about? >> The police. >> Oh, okay. Is DC up there? >> No. DC. >> He called and he's on the list to pick up the child. All right, sir. >> So, like I said, I was going to talk to you and explain the situation to you. I just got to read something first. All right. >> You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can or will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to talk to a lawyer and have him or her present with you while you are being questioned. Sorry, I want to let that car go by. If you cannot afford to hire a lawyer, one will be appointed to With these rights in mind, are you willing to answer my questions now? >> Yes. >> Okay. So help me understand how we come to >> where you and your wife are in a bar and the child's alone in the car. >> All week long I've been working everything else. She's been watching the kid yesterday. Today I've been watching and was very upset when I'm not around. So she's a first time mother. Okay. So like when he starts crying and freaking out, she doesn't know what to do. So immediately she texts me or messaged me from, you know, Helen handling stuff over at 1405 doing payroll or whatever. We're out getting groceries or whatever I'm doing. >> So tonight I asked for 2 hours just to go out. I got here 8:30 tonight and she came in roughly what time it is now? Probably half hour ago recording say it was 15 minutes that you guys got here. And she came in and she says, "You ready to go?" And Glenn, the owner, he says, "You going home?" I said, "Yes." Glenn went over to 1405. I said, "I'm paying the tab and going." As I'm paying my tab, I said," She says, he said, "The car it's running after." I said, "That leave him in the car like that." So she walked outside, checked on him, and says, "He's sleeping." She says, "Yes." I said, "P my tab to Corey in there." Cory was working on my physically working on my tab to get me out of here and your officer walked in. So >> when she came in to check on you, that's when you asked her where your son was and she said, "He's in the car." >> He's in the car. I said, "Is the car running?" She says, "Yes." "The air conditioner?" "Yes." I said, "Go check on him. Make sure he's still asleep." She said, "Yes." She walked out. She checked on him. Walked back in. She said, "Let's go. Are you ready to go?" She sat down, turned around, the drink was still there, and Cory was toing up my tab. At no point with the vehicle running, keys in the ignition. >> I know the doors unlocked >> and the doors unlocked. >> Understand where you come from on that. >> And with the two people walking by, I watched them walk by the car twice. >> They walked by it. They went out to the curb. They came back in and then they >> But there's nothing stopping them from those two people walking by. They wholeheartedly wanted to take the car. They couldn't. >> I know. She actually at that point she should have been in the car waiting for me. >> One of you, you're both parents. You're both parents. You're both responsible for that child's safety. a six-month old% >> 100% correct. >> And you knew once your wife came in that the baby was in the vehicle >> by itself with vehicle running. >> You're correct. >> Okay. >> She sat down for 5 minutes, not even, and she came in and it was like and she I said, "Go check on them." And I said, "The car is running. AC's on." She said, "Yes." >> Flurryish. >> Yeah. >> The diapers, the powder, the wipes. >> It's not very much. Like I said, it's not >> Tommy needs to know where they are and he needs to he needs to be able to he be taken care of till at least like 11:00 in the morning. >> Can I just let you go? >> No, no, you don't. No, this is reality. This is what's happening. Okay. >> The incident quickly drew national media attention and Flaggler County Sheriff Rick Styley issued a scathing public statement. >> Fortunately, the engine stayed running, didn't stall out or could have had a dead baby in there. It was just, you know, in incompetent, irresponsible parenting. If you want to go out drinking, get a babysitter. >> It's very simple. >> We're both going, we're staying in, we're sleeping in jail tonight until we get arraigned in the morning. And we're going to have appearance tickets after that. >> I need to make sure Tommy has everything >> for Michael. >> Yes, but I have Yeah, I always do have like something there for him. Keep it on the car. >> He won't like He has a good Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Sorry. Oh, did you see my block? >> I got this. >> Yep. >> After interviewing the parents and confirming the vehicle was left running, unlocked with the keys accessible and the child unattended. Both were placed under arrest. They were charged with felony child neglect without great bodily harm. The child was safely placed with a family friend and child protective services became involved. What do you think of the sheriff's comments? Let us know in the comments below. If you like content like this, please like and subscribe.