Florida Mom Allegedly Left Newborn In High Chair While She Went Drinking

Lake Worth, FL – A Florida mom is accused of leaving her three-week old baby strapped in a high chair while she went out drinking. Crystal Ricci allegedly left the newborn in a dirty diaper before heading out to the local bar. When Ricci’s roommate woke up and found the baby alone, she called the police.

Crystal Ricci supposedly left the baby without food and water for hours, the Palm Beach Post notes. The cries of the infant reportedly woke the roommate around 5 am on Sunday. The female roommate tried to call the missing mommy multiple times, according to the Daily Mail.

Much to her surprise, the roommate noticed that her car was missing as well. By the time sheriff’s deputies arrived, the roommate was finally able to get Ricci to answer the phone. The law enforcement officers were eager to speak with the newborn’s missing mother.

Police officers ultimately found Ricci “passed out” in the roommate’s vehicle. The 32-year-old mother reportedly told officers that she was too drunk to drive home.

Ricci was booked into the Palm Beach County jail on $3,000 bail and later released. She has been charged with child cruelty and neglect. The Florida mom reportedly told police officers that she has a drug problem and needs help, WPBF notes.

Ricci reportedly told the Lake Worth deputies that she did not know what had happened or how she ended up with her roommate’s car. The newborn was left unattended in the high chair for about four hours. A Florida deputy also noted that the baby boy was found in a soiled diaper.