2-year-old Son found in Soiled Clothes Wandering in Streets by a Woman on Vacations: Florida Mom Apprehended by Authorities
A 22-year-old woman in Florida has been taken into custody following an incident where her 2-year-old son was found wandering alone on the street for several hours.
Isabella R. Tucci was arrested on Monday and is facing charges of neglecting a child without causing serious physical harm, according to court records.
Deputies from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office were called to a condominium complex in Palm Coast, Florida, in response to a juvenile incident, as stated in a probable cause affidavit. The incident took place on July 1st at around 9:17 a.m. Palm Coast is located approximately 80 miles northeast of Orlando. A concerned individual informed the emergency operator about the discovery of a young boy, approximately 2 years old, who was found alone in front of the condominiums.
A woman from Connecticut, who was on vacation in town, spotted the child around 9 a.m., according to the police. The woman informed investigators that she approached the toddler and stayed by his side for approximately 15 minutes, hoping to locate a nearby parent before ultimately deciding to contact 911.
Upon arriving at the scene, deputies found the child, referred to as “MP” in court documents, and tried to identify him or his parents.
Authorities also mentioned that the blue onesie outfit the individual was wearing seemed to be very soiled/dirty.
Deputies have taken custody of the young child and have transported him to the Palm Coast District Office of the sheriff’s department. The Florida Department of Children and Families was alerted and promptly addressed the situation at hand.
Deputies initiated a search for the boy’s parents by thoroughly inspecting the cars in the condo complex and looking for any signs of a parent in distress or a missing child.
During a routine patrol, a deputy discovered that the front door of a unit in the complex had been left open. The deputy raised their voice and successfully roused the individual who was sleeping inside. After further investigation, it was discovered that the person inside the residence was Tucci. She acknowledged having a 2-year-old son who matched the description of the child found wandering.
According to the deputy, the condo building was in close proximity to a water canal, making it easily accessible for the child. Additionally, the unit was situated on the second floor, posing a potential risk of falling due to the elevated stairway. Furthermore, it was reported that Club House Drive experiences significant traffic between Palm Harbor Parkway and Palm Coast Parkway.
A young child was discovered on the road, about 200 yards away from his residence with his mother.
Tucci reportedly claimed to authorities that she had not seen her son since she put him to sleep around 2 a.m. that morning. She mentioned that she had been experiencing difficulties with the boy due to his newfound ability to lock and unlock doors. She mentioned that he had recently prevented her from entering her mother’s house.
According to a news release, the deputy pointed out that Tucci had failed to take any measures to install child-proof locks as per Law and Crime.
The affidavit described the condo as being in a state of disarray, with trash and food scattered on the floors, along with open containers of alcohol.
