Deputies found a baby in the backseat of a car after they pulled over a Marion County woman suspected of drunk driving early Sunday.
"There was a pungent smell of alcohol as soon as (deputies) walked up to the car," said Lauren Lettelier, a spokeswoman for the Marion County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies pulled over Lindsay Taylor, 22, during the early morning hours of Sunday, Nov. 23, stating she was weaving as she was driving on U.S. Highway 484 near I-75 in Marion County.
"They asked her to do some field sobriety tests, and when they asked her to get out of the car, they saw there was an infant in the backseat of the car," Lettelier said.
Inside the vehicle, deputies found a 10-month-old baby and a nearly empty bottle of gin.
Taylor was arrested for DUI with a minor in the car. She has since been released from the Marion County Jail after posting bond.
News 13 attempted to speak with Taylor at her home Monday in Belleview, but a man answered the door and said the woman wasn't home.
Taylor's neighbor, also a young mother, said she was shocked when she heard what happened.
"The baby should have been in bed by a certain time," Chelsea Frazier said. "You should have had a babysitter if you wanted to go out and not endanger your child because you wanted to go out and have a fun time," Chelsea Frazier said.
In Florida, people who drive drunk with minors in the car face the possibility of double the fine and an increased maximum jail time from six months to nine months.
With the Thanksgiving holiday this week, Marion County deputies are calling for safety and parental responsibility.
"Please, if you have your children, go ahead and stay the night where you are at," Lettelier said. "Make plans or just don't drink if you have your kids with you."
Taylor's 10-month-old child is temporarily staying with family friends while the Department of Children and Families investigates the incident.