Important Corrections to the Body-Camera Transcript

The child in this case was a two-year-old boy, not a girl. The body-camera transcript repeatedly switches between male and female pronouns, apparently because some witnesses initially mistook the child for a girl because of his long hair. Published reports based on the Flagler County Sheriff's Office identify him consistently as a two-year-old boy.

The incident occurred on Monday, July 1, 2024, at the Palm Club condominium complex near Club House Drive in Palm Coast, Florida. A visitor named Lenore Lofaro encountered the child near the entrance to the parking area and eventually contacted law enforcement. Published reports differ slightly on exactly how long she remained with him before deputies arrived, and the body-camera transcript itself contains inconsistent estimates. The safest conclusion is that the child had been outside without a known caregiver for a significant period, but the exact amount of time he had been wandering alone is not established.

The transcript also creates the impression that the child may have been outside for more than eight hours. That is not supported by the available reporting. Isabella Tucci told deputies that she last saw her son at approximately 2:00 a.m. when she put him to bed and that she remained asleep until deputies woke her at approximately 10:30 a.m. Those statements establish that she had not checked on him for roughly eight and a half hours. They do not establish that he had been outside for that entire period.

The mother's name was Isabella Tucci. She was 22 years old at the time. She was arrested on a felony charge of child neglect without great bodily harm. That charge did not mean she had been convicted, and the public reporting reviewed for this account does not establish a later final disposition of the criminal case. She was released after posting a $2,500 bond.

The transcript also needs clarification regarding substance testing. Tucci reportedly told a Department of Children and Families investigator that she had recently tested positive for THC and alcohol several days earlier. An on-site test on July 1 was reported as positive for methadone. A positive methadone test does not by itself establish illegal use or impairment because methadone can be lawfully prescribed for pain or for treatment of opioid-use disorder. The available reporting does not establish from the test result alone that methadone caused Tucci to remain asleep.

The body-camera conversation also references kratom. That discussion reflects what a deputy and Tucci said during the encounter, but the public reports reviewed for this account do not establish that kratom caused the incident or that Tucci was impaired by it. It should therefore not be presented as a proven cause of the child's wandering.

Finally, deputies reported seeing open containers of alcohol, trash and food scattered in the condo and said they did not observe clothing for the child in his bedroom. That means no clothing was observed there during the inspection; it does not prove that the child owned no clothing at all.

A Toddler Alone Near Club House Drive

On the morning of July 1, 2024, Lenore Lofaro was outside near the Palm Club condominiums in Palm Coast when she noticed something that immediately looked wrong.

A very young child was near the roadway without an adult beside him. He was wearing pajamas and a heavily soiled diaper. No parent, relative or other caregiver appeared to be following him.

The child was only two years old and could not provide a reliable explanation of where he lived. When Lofaro tried asking about his home and family, he pointed toward different places around the complex. At times he appeared interested in nearby vehicles rather than giving directions that could lead an adult back to his residence.

Lofaro tried to determine whether anyone nearby knew him. She knocked on doors and watched for a parent who might suddenly appear searching for a missing toddler. No one came.

The circumstances became more concerning because the condominium complex was close to a heavily traveled roadway. A child of that age could move quickly into traffic without understanding the danger.

Lofaro eventually contacted 911.

Deputies Arrive

Flagler County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to the area shortly after the call.

Their first problem was simple but urgent: they had a toddler and no confirmed parent, home address or responsible adult.

The child could speak, but his answers were not dependable enough to identify where he belonged. When deputies tried to ask his name, his mother's name and where he lived, the responses were difficult to interpret. The body-camera recording captures officers repeating questions and trying to turn fragments of toddler speech into useful information.

The child's appearance also raised concern. His diaper was extremely full and appeared to have been unchanged for some time. Deputies arranged for an appropriate child seat so that he could be transported safely rather than placing him unsecured in a patrol vehicle.

The child remained calm through much of the encounter. Deputies gave him water, spoke to him about monster trucks and traffic, and tried to keep the situation from becoming frightening while they worked to identify his family.

Because they still did not know where he belonged, deputies contacted the Florida Department of Children and Families.

The Search for a Parent

While one deputy transported the boy to the sheriff's Palm Coast District Office, other deputies continued searching the condominium complex.

They looked for practical clues. Vehicles with child safety seats might belong to a parent or relative. Neighbors might recognize the child. Someone might be outside looking for a missing son or grandson.

At one residence, deputies asked a man whether he was missing a child after noticing car seats associated with his vehicle. He explained that the seats were for his grandchildren and that no child was missing from his home.

The search continued.

Eventually, neighbors provided information that pointed deputies toward a second-floor unit. One resident said the long-haired child lived nearby and indicated a particular apartment.

As a deputy approached the unit, he noticed something important before anyone answered a question: the front door was open.

Inside the Condo

Deputies announced themselves at the doorway.

Inside the residence they found Isabella Tucci asleep.

When she woke, officers asked whether she was missing a child. The question initially appeared to confuse her. Once deputies described the toddler they had found, she confirmed that the boy was her son.

Tucci told them that her son knew how to unlock the front door. According to her, he had demonstrated that ability before. She said that although he knew how to open the door, he normally did not leave the residence by himself.

That explanation immediately became important to the deputies' assessment. If a caregiver already knew a two-year-old could operate the door lock, investigators wanted to know what additional steps had been taken to prevent him from leaving unnoticed.

Deputies reported that they did not see an additional childproof lock positioned where the toddler could not reach it.

Tucci's Timeline

Deputies then tried to establish when Tucci had last seen her son.

She said she had put him to bed at approximately 2:00 a.m. and had also gone to sleep around that time. She told them she did not wake again until the deputies arrived at roughly 10:30 that morning.

That meant she had not knowingly checked on the child for about eight and a half hours.

The distinction between that period and the amount of time the boy spent outside is important. Investigators knew when Tucci said she fell asleep and when they woke her, but they did not know exactly when the toddler opened the door and left the unit.

Tucci suggested that the child sometimes woke very early. She said he could get up around 4:00 a.m. and move around the residence before she was awake.

She also appeared surprised that he had made it down the exterior stairs.