:quality(70)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-cmg.s3.amazonaws.com/public/IYEDNXGTBUQCF2X4ILUXLJQLSY.jpg)
DELAND, Fla — An 8-month-old child was found inside a car while two adults were passed out in the front seats early Tuesday morning, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities said that a deputy spotted the car in a Circle K parking lot on East New York Avenue in DeLand, Florida, at about 3:15 a.m.
Investigators said the driver’s side door was open and the car windows were fogged.
The deputy said he saw a man and a woman unconscious in the front seats.
The incident was recorded on the deputy's body camera. (Watch Below)
Child neglect arrest 10/24/1710/24/17 Around 3:15 a.m., Deputy Lewis noticed a car in the Circle K parking lot (2095 E. New York Ave., DeLand) sitting with its driver door open. Inside, a male driver and female front-seat passenger were unconscious. The windows on the vehicle were fogged up, indicating the vehicle had been sitting for an extended amount of time. Upon further observation, Deputy Lewis observed an infant child (approximately 8 months old) asleep in a car seat in the rear middle passenger seat. Deputy Lewis observed the child to be sweating profusely. Deputy Lewis woke both adults. While speaking with them, the baby began crying. It became apparent the infant had not had her diaper changed in some time as the diaper was saturated with fluids and leaking from the diaper edges around the legs. The diaper had been leaking for an extended period which was evident by the infant car seat also being saturated with fluids from the baby's diaper. The appearance of the baby was dirty and it appeared the baby had not been bathed in some time. The baby appeared to be hungry. The baby cried and reached for an empty bottle when she saw it. The adult female passenger appeared confused and could not identify where she was located. She had difficulty spelling her name due to her level of impairment. She was placed under arrest for child neglect. A search revealed a clear plastic baggie with white residue in her left front pocket. Deputy Lewis tested the residue in the baggie utilizing a NARK #22 test kit, which yielded a presumptive positive for the presence of opiates. The defendant was subsequently charged with possession of opiates and later transported to the Volusia County Branch Jail. Because the male driver had full control of the vehicle and the key in the ignition, Deputy Lewis placed him under arrest for driving while license suspended. As he exited the vehicle, deputies observed track marks on this inner arms indicating intravenous drug use. A search revealed a spent syringe in his left front pocket. Deputy Lewis tested the syringe utilizing a NARK #22 test kit, which yielded a presumptive positive for the presence of opiates. He was subsequently charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and later transported to the jail. The child was placed into the care of the Department of Children and Families. The opioid epidemic touches innocent lives every day.
Posted by Volusia Sheriff's Office on Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Authorities said the child was in a car seat and was sweating profusely. The Sheriff’s Office said the child’s diaper was “saturated with fluids and leaking from the diaper edges around the legs.”
>> Read: Florida couple overdoses, passes out with toddlers in car
In a report, the deputy also said that “the appearance of the baby was dirty and it appeared the baby had not been bathed in some time. The baby appeared to be hungry. The baby cried and reached for an empty bottle when she saw it.”
The woman, Kimberly McCaffrey, was placed under arrest on child neglect charges. The deputy said he found a clear plastic baggie with white residue in her left, front pocket.
Sean Gannon was in the front seat and the key was in the ignition. The deputy arrested Gannon on charges of driving with a suspended license.
Authorities said the deputy observed track marks on the man’s inner arms, indicating intravenous drug use, and a used syringe was found in his left, front pocket.
>> Read: Couple unknowingly drives onto highway with drunken man on trunk
The body camera video from the Police Department shows the officer questioning McCaffrey.
“All right, what are we doing in the parking lot passes out with the door open and a baby in the back seat?” the officer asked.
“I apologize,” McCaffrey said.
The deputy tested the residue in the baggie and in the syringe, using a NARK No. 22 test kit. The results were positive for the presence of opiates, authorities said.
The two were charged with possession of opiates and later taken to the Volusia County Jail.
According to a report, McCaffrey’s mother said that she, “Had been down this road with Kimberly too many times and refused to take custody of the child.”
A judge ordered McCaffrey not to have custody with her daughter without permission from the Department of Children and Families.
The baby and her two older siblings were placed in foster care.
Court records show this is McCaffrey’s first drug arrest in Volusia County. It’s Gannon’s ninth.
“The opioid epidemic touches innocent lives every day,” a post on the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page reads.
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said the county had 101 overdose deaths last year and 95 so far this year.
“The problem is out of control and the collateral damage is the kids,” he said.
Cox Media Group
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/D7YD3FSMWEIQUG7BVTC7VQJ5AA.jpg)
:quality(70)/d1hfln2sfez66z.cloudfront.net/05-10-2024/t_3b2247fad2504db0a40dba6a5e3014e0_name_Untitled_design__1_.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/3ELAYOWK4BBOXKVJISY2LU5ZWY.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7N6IGDYFUJHJ5IL5U4VSNC2YMU.jpeg)
:quality(70)/d1hfln2sfez66z.cloudfront.net/05-11-2024/t_de6b4321725d4d909492a574967cd3e8_name_mon_jax_BAM3_Jags_Stadium_Renovations_mon_jax_BAM3_Jags_Stadium_Renovations_02.png)