1. Discovery of the Child
In a shocking and disturbing incident, Florida law enforcement discovered a two-year-old girl left in an unlocked vehicle for nearly two hours while her mother, Kristina Vitucci, 35, and her boyfriend, Joshua Harris, 39, were inside a nearby bar. The police responded after a 911 call from a concerned passerby reported the child alone in the car outside Jan & Libs Hi-Tops Lounge on Ridgewood Avenue. Officers arrived to find the toddler’s faint cries emanating from the vehicle, prompting immediate action.
2. Police Approach the Vehicle
The body-cam footage from the Edgewater Police Department shows officers approaching the vehicle. As they get closer, the officer opens the car door and checks on the toddler, who is visibly upset and continues to cry. Shortly after, Joshua Harris, who later admits to being the mother’s boyfriend, walks over. He claims to be the vehicle owner but denies responsibility for the child, stating that he had come out to check on her. His involvement in the situation only raised more questions for the officers.
3. Searching for the Mother
The police, now aware of the troubling situation, begin searching for Kristina Vitucci inside the bar. The body-cam footage reveals the chaotic atmosphere as Flo Rida’s “Low” blares in the background. The officers eventually find Vitucci and escort her out of the dimly lit bar. She is questioned by the officers about the child left alone in the vehicle. When asked if she knew why the police were there, Vitucci responds simply, “Yeah”. The tension is palpable, and her responses suggest a lack of understanding about the severity of the situation.
4. Harris’s Statement and The Child’s Condition
Harris, interviewed separately, claims he had told Vitucci to leave the bar and go to his house. He explains that he only realized the child was in the car when he went outside to check on her. Meanwhile, the officers remove the child from the vehicle, who is still crying and visibly distressed. One officer tries to comfort the girl, but her emotional state highlights the trauma caused by being abandoned in the car for such a long period.
5. Argument Between the Couple
After being arrested, Vitucci and Harris can be heard arguing in the back of the police car. Their heated exchange is caught on camera, with Vitucci expressing disbelief at the situation. She tells Harris, “I like literally cannot even just believe that all this st f**ng happened.” Harris, seemingly more understanding of the gravity of their actions, angrily responds, “You brought her to a bar, and you sat inside.” The argument escalates further as Vitucci accuses Harris of not leaving the bar when she asked, and Harris retaliates, claiming Vitucci had urged him to leave multiple times.
6. Arrest and Charges
After the incident, both Kristina Vitucci and Joshua Harris were arrested and charged with felony child neglect. The police shared their disgust in a Facebook post: “So disgusting we don’t even have a caption…” The couple had left their two-year-old daughter alone in an unlocked vehicle for nearly two hours while drinking in the bar. The disturbing case highlights the lack of regard for the child’s safety, and both Vitucci and Harris were held on $5,000 bail. They are scheduled to appear in court in February 2025, with Vitucci’s arraignment set for February 18, and Harris’s for February 25.
