A 36-year-old Palm Coast woman faces a felony child neglect charge after first responders find a baby less than a year old trapped inside her vehicle with no adult supervision for at least 20 minutes.
Jessica Marie Zaccaro (pictured) was arrested on scene by the Daytona Beach Police Department (DBPD) around 9 o’clock yesterday morning (November 5th) in the parking lot of Twin Lakes Medical Center (1890 LPGA Boulevard). She has since left Volusia County Jail.
A witness called for help around 8:40 that morning stating that she found a female baby strapped to a car seat inside a locked sport utility vehicle while she was walking inside the medical center for a doctor’s appointment.
The witness told detectives that the baby was crying and the vehicle did not have the engine running or the windows down. The witness called 911 for help after she tried unsuccessfully to open the vehicle doors.
The outside temperature at the time was around 80 degrees.
Paramedics responded to the scene within minutes and forced the vehicle doors open, pulling the child free.
The baby’s vitals were checked out and found to be OK. She did have a soiled diaper and some dehydration. She was also sweaty and clammy to the touch.
The defendant showed up soon after paramedics arrived and claimed she didn’t know the child was in the vehicle at the time. She requested a lawyer soon after she was placed into custody and her Miranda rights were read.
The Department of Children and Families has been notified of the incident. The child was released to the custody of family members.
DBPD is not disclosing the woman’s relationship to the child.