A 6-month-old baby spent hours alone inside a running vehicle in Edgewater while the infant's mother cleaned a nearby home, police say, and the discovery has landed Kristina Vitucci back in jail on charges that include a probation violation tied to an almost identical earlier case. A concerned citizen who spotted the baby called 911, setting off the encounter that led to Vitucci's arrest.
According to FOX 35 Orlando, Vitucci was booked on charges including child neglect, leaving a child unattended in a vehicle for more than 15 minutes, and violating her probation. Police say she left the infant alone in the running car for several hours while she cleaned a woman's home nearby. She was being held without bond, the station reported.
The vehicle's air conditioning was running, but police say it was not keeping the interior adequately comfortable. The baby was not physically hurt but appeared visibly uncomfortable by the time the citizen who found the child called for help, according to the report. Edgewater police publicly recognized that citizen for checking on the vehicle and alerting authorities.
What Police Say Vitucci Told Them
Vitucci told police she had been checking on the baby every 30 to 45 minutes, according to the report on body camera footage. When officers asked why she or anyone else hadn't simply brought the child inside the home she was cleaning, she was unable to give a clear answer, the footage shows.
The Edgewater Police Department said in a statement that leaving an infant unattended inside a vehicle for hours is dangerous, irresponsible, and unacceptable. The department warned that vehicles can quickly become dangerous environments for children even when left running, noting that mechanical or air-conditioning failures can occur without warning.
A Nearly Identical Case From February 2025
This is not the first time Vitucci has faced this kind of accusation. In February 2025, Edgewater police arrested her and her then-boyfriend after her 2-year-old child was found alone for hours in a vehicle outside a local bar while the couple was inside drinking, the same reporting states. That child appeared to have been crying for a while and was cold and not dressed appropriately for the chilly winter weather at the time.
Vitucci was ultimately sentenced to 90 days in jail and 57 months of probation in that case — the same probation term she is now accused of violating with the latest arrest, per the same account.
What Florida Law Says About Kids Left in Cars
Florida law sets firm limits on how long a young child can be left alone in a vehicle. Under Florida Statute § 316.6135, it is illegal to leave a child under 6 years old unattended in a car for more than 15 minutes, or for any length of time if the engine is running or the child is in distress. Violations that don't cause serious injury are typically treated as a noncriminal traffic infraction or second-degree misdemeanor, but the charge can rise to a third-degree felony if a child suffers great bodily harm or permanent disability, according to Musca Law. Separately, Florida Statute § 827.03 defines child neglect more broadly as a caregiver's failure to provide the supervision and care a child needs to maintain physical and mental health.
Florida Statute § 827.03 separately addresses child abuse, neglect, and abandonment.
Why Even a Few Hours Can Be Life-Threatening
Medical experts say the dangers of leaving a young child in a car go beyond simple discomfort. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration cautions that a young child's core body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult's, and shaded vehicles can also be dangerous, according to Zarzaur Law. A study by researchers at Arizona State University and UC San Diego found that inside a shaded vehicle, a 2-year-old child's core body temperature can climb to a dangerous 104 degrees within two hours.
Florida has recorded more than 108 pediatric vehicular heatstroke fatalities between 1992 and 2024.
