Florida mom arrested again, accused of leaving a child alone in vehicle: Police

Florida mom accused of leaving infant in car for hours

A Florida mom has been arrested and is facing potential child neglect charges after she left her six-month-old child in a running vehicle for hours while she was cleaning someone’s house, according to the Edgewater Police Department.

EDGEWATER, Fla. – A Florida mom has been arrested and is facing potential child neglect charges after she left her six-month-old child in a running vehicle for hours while she was cleaning someone’s house, according to the Edgewater Police Department.

What we know:

Kristina Vitucci was arrested and booked into jail on several charges, including child neglect, leaving a child unattended in a vehicle for more than 15 minutes, and a violation of probation. She is being held on no bond. 

According to police, a concerned citizen noticed a vehicle had been left running in someone’s driveway for a while and went to check on it. Inside, she found a 6-month-old baby alone and called 911.

Police responded and checked on the baby. The baby’s mother, identified as Vitucci, was inside cleaning a woman’s home for the last several hours, and told police that she had checked on the baby every 30–45 minutes.

Police said the air conditioning was on in the vehicle, though it “was not adequately keeping the interior comfortable.” The young child was not physically hurt, but did appear to be “visibly uncomfortable.”

What they’re saying:

“Leaving an infant unattended inside a vehicle for hours is dangerous, irresponsible, and completely unacceptable. Vehicles can quickly become dangerous environments for children, even when left running, and mechanical or air-conditioning failures can occur without warning.

We also want to recognize the citizen who trusted their instincts, took a closer look, and called 911. That decision mattered. Community members who remain observant and are willing to speak up are an important part of keeping Edgewater safe.”

What we don’t know:

Police asked the woman several times why no one brought the child inside the house while she was cleaning. In body camera video, Vitucci was unable to provide a clear answer.

Neighbor was concerned that the car was on, idling for a while

Ryan Mock told deputies that he was loading lawn equipment into a trailer around 10 a.m. when he noticed another vehicle idling in someone’s driveway. Two hours later, he noticed the vehicle was still on and walked over to it, where he spotted a baby inside.

Concerned neighbor finds baby alone in running vehicle

A man and his brother were concerned after a vehicle was seemingly left running in someone’s driveway for a while. They checked it out and found a child alone inside. The child’s mom was inside another home cleaning it. She’s been arrested on child abuse charges.

Woman arrested for similar incident in 2025

The backstory:

Edgewater police arrested Vitucci and her then-boyfriend in February 2025 on alleged child neglect charges after a 2-year-old was left alone for hours in a vehicle while the two were inside a bar drinking.

Police said it appeared that the child had been crying for a while, was cold, and not dressed appropriately for the chilly winter weather.

According to online court records, Vitucci was sentenced to 90 days in jail and 57 months of probation.