Topline: “These two will never receive parents of the year award with this behavior,” the sheriff said after deputies found their baby alone in a running car outside a bar.
Published: July 23, 2025 8:30 am ET
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Inset: Norman Finnegan, left, and Clarisse Finnegan (via Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility). Background: Bodycam footage of the moment deputies rescued the infant. (via Flagler County Sheriff's Office)
PALM COAST, FL — A Florida couple is facing felony charges after Flagler County deputies found their infant child left alone in an unlocked, running vehicle outside a bar late Friday night.
According to a release from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a tip just after 10:00 p.m. reporting a child left unattended in a car parked outside a Palm Coast bar. When they arrived, they discovered an infant asleep in a car seat that was improperly secured in the back of the vehicle. The engine was running, the keys were in the ignition, and the doors were left unlocked.
While deputies were at the scene, 28-year-old Clarisse Finnegan exited the bar and approached the vehicle. She told deputies the car belonged to her and that her husband, 60-year-old Norman Finnegan Jr., was still inside. Deputies soon located and detained him for questioning.
A witness told deputies she first noticed the vehicle when she arrived at the bar around 10:00 p.m. and saw a man come out of the bar, glance into the car, and then go back inside around 10:15 p.m.
Clarisse told deputies she had gone inside the bar to use the restroom and to get money from Norman for items needed for the child. She claimed she then returned to the vehicle to check on the baby, and later reentered the bar to see if Norman was ready to leave. While he was closing his tab, she walked back outside and was confronted by deputies.
However, the couple gave differing accounts of Clarisse’s time in the bar, and witnesses confirmed that both had been drinking while inside.
“These two will never receive parents of the year award with this behavior,” said Sheriff Rick Staly in the agency’s statement. “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.”
Both Norman and Clarisse Finnegan were arrested and charged with felony child neglect without great bodily harm. They were taken to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility. Norman was released on a $2,500 bond; Clarisse was released on her own recognizance.
The Florida Department of Children and Families has also opened an investigation into the incident.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Sheriff: ‘Reckless’ Parents Left Infant in Car While They Drank at Bar
“These two will never receive parents of the year award with this behavior,” the sheriff said after deputies found their baby alone in a running car outside a bar.
By Jacob Charles
Published: July 23, 2025 8:30 am ET
Inset: Norman Finnegan, left, and Clarisse Finnegan (via Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility). Background: Bodycam footage of the moment deputies rescued the infant. (via Flagler County Sheriff's Office)
PALM COAST, FL — A Florida couple is facing felony charges after Flagler County deputies found their infant child left alone in an unlocked, running vehicle outside a bar late Friday night.
According to a release from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a tip just after 10:00 p.m. reporting a child left unattended in a car parked outside a Palm Coast bar. When they arrived, they discovered an infant asleep in a car seat that was improperly secured in the back of the vehicle. The engine was running, the keys were in the ignition, and the doors were left unlocked.
While deputies were at the scene, 28-year-old Clarisse Finnegan exited the bar and approached the vehicle. She told deputies the car belonged to her and that her husband, 60-year-old Norman Finnegan Jr., was still inside. Deputies soon located and detained him for questioning.
A witness told deputies she first noticed the vehicle when she arrived at the bar around 10:00 p.m. and saw a man come out of the bar, glance into the car, and then go back inside around 10:15 p.m.
Clarisse told deputies she had gone inside the bar to use the restroom and to get money from Norman for items needed for the child. She claimed she then returned to the vehicle to check on the baby, and later reentered the bar to see if Norman was ready to leave. While he was closing his tab, she walked back outside and was confronted by deputies.
However, the couple gave differing accounts of Clarisse’s time in the bar, and witnesses confirmed that both had been drinking while inside.
“These two will never receive parents of the year award with this behavior,” said Sheriff Rick Staly in the agency’s statement. “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.”
Both Norman and Clarisse Finnegan were arrested and charged with felony child neglect without great bodily harm. They were taken to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility. Norman was released on a $2,500 bond; Clarisse was released on her own recognizance.
The Florida Department of Children and Families has also opened an investigation into the incident.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Sheriff: ‘Reckless’ Parents Left Infant in Car While They Drank at Bar
“These two will never receive parents of the year award with this behavior,” the sheriff said after deputies found their baby alone in a running car outside a bar.
By Jacob Charles
Published: July 23, 2025 8:30 am ET
Inset: Norman Finnegan, left, and Clarisse Finnegan (via Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility). Background: Bodycam footage of the moment deputies rescued the infant. (via Flagler County Sheriff's Office)
PALM COAST, FL — A Florida couple is facing felony charges after Flagler County deputies found their infant child left alone in an unlocked, running vehicle outside a bar late Friday night.
According to a release from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a tip just after 10:00 p.m. reporting a child left unattended in a car parked outside a Palm Coast bar. When they arrived, they discovered an infant asleep in a car seat that was improperly secured in the back of the vehicle. The engine was running, the keys were in the ignition, and the doors were left unlocked.
While deputies were at the scene, 28-year-old Clarisse Finnegan exited the bar and approached the vehicle. She told deputies the car belonged to her and that her husband, 60-year-old Norman Finnegan Jr., was still inside. Deputies soon located and detained him for questioning.
A witness told deputies she first noticed the vehicle when she arrived at the bar around 10:00 p.m. and saw a man come out of the bar, glance into the car, and then go back inside around 10:15 p.m.
Clarisse told deputies she had gone inside the bar to use the restroom and to get money from Norman for items needed for the child. She claimed she then returned to the vehicle to check on the baby, and later reentered the bar to see if Norman was ready to leave. While he was closing his tab, she walked back outside and was confronted by deputies.
However, the couple gave differing accounts of Clarisse’s time in the bar, and witnesses confirmed that both had been drinking while inside.
“These two will never receive parents of the year award with this behavior,” said Sheriff Rick Staly in the agency’s statement. “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.”
Both Norman and Clarisse Finnegan were arrested and charged with felony child neglect without great bodily harm. They were taken to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility. Norman was released on a $2,500 bond; Clarisse was released on her own recognizance.
The Florida Department of Children and Families has also opened an investigation into the incident.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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