A Florida woman has been arrested after police said she left her six-month-old baby in a running car for several hours while she cleaned a client’s home in Edgewater.
Kristina Vitucci was taken into custody on Tuesday, 22 September, and booked on charges including child neglect, leaving a child unattended in a vehicle for more than 15 minutes and violating probation. She was being held without bond, according to jail records.
Edgewater Police Department said a concerned resident noticed a vehicle running in a driveway for an extended period. When the woman checked inside, she found the infant alone and called 911.
Officers said the child’s mother was cleaning a woman’s home nearby. Vitucci allegedly told police she had returned to the vehicle every 30 to 45 minutes to check on the baby.
The car’s air conditioning was running but was not keeping the interior at a comfortable temperature, police said. The infant did not appear to have suffered physical injuries but was visibly uncomfortable.
In body-worn camera footage, officers repeatedly asked Vitucci why the child had not been taken inside the house. Police said she was unable to give a clear explanation.
“Leaving an infant unattended inside a vehicle for hours is dangerous, irresponsible, and completely unacceptable,” the Edgewater Police Department said.
Police also praised the resident who investigated the vehicle and contacted emergency services, saying the decision to call 911 had mattered.
Woman was on probation after previous child neglect case
The arrest comes after Vitucci was accused of a similar incident in February 2025. Police said she and her then-boyfriend left a two-year-old child alone in a vehicle for hours while they drank inside a bar.
The child was reportedly crying, cold and dressed in clothing unsuitable for the weather. Vitucci was later sentenced to 90 days in jail and 57 months of probation, according to court records.
