Police say a mother under a no-contact order removed the children from their father’s car in seconds and left in an SUV.
EDGEWATER, Fla. — A Seminole County arrest Monday capped a daylong search for a mother accused of taking her 7-year-old and 5-year-old from their father’s vehicle at a Sunoco in Edgewater on Sunday evening, police said.
Investigators identified the woman as Emily St. Clair, 34, who they say was barred by a Department of Children and Families order from contacting the children. Edgewater police said the children were not injured and have been reunited with their father. The episode, recorded on store cameras, set off alerts across multiple agencies as officers looked for a “newer-model” Chevrolet SUV seen leaving south on U.S. 1. Officials said the pickup took moments and ended before bystanders grasped what was happening.
Police said the father pulled into the gas station in the 600 block of West Indian River Boulevard and went inside briefly. Video reviewed by reporters shows a woman step from an SUV, open the door of the father’s car and remove one child, then guide the second toward the SUV. “Our priority was the children’s safety; they were located safe and returned to their father,” the department said in a written statement. Detectives said they also confirmed St. Clair had an active felony warrant for drug possession at the time.
By late Sunday, Edgewater officers had shared the video images and the vehicle description with agencies in Volusia and neighboring counties. Deputies in Seminole County found St. Clair overnight and booked her into jail early Monday, according to police. Officials did not detail the exact arrest time, where the vehicle was located or whether any other adults were present. Authorities declined to specify all pending charges, citing the ongoing intake of reports from multiple jurisdictions, but noted that interference with custody and violation of a court order are among the offenses typically considered in parental abduction cases.
Edgewater, a coastal city south of New Smyrna Beach, sits along a corridor where U.S. 1 and Interstate connectors allow quick moves across county lines, a pattern investigators say often influences search perimeters. Recent cases in Central Florida show that surveillance video from fuel stations and big-box parking lots has become a common starting point for timelines and suspect descriptions. In Sunday’s incident, the timestamps helped police narrow the window and match witness accounts that the pickup happened “in seconds” while a parent was inside the store.
St. Clair appeared before a Seminole County judge Monday morning and is being held without bond. A next court date is scheduled in February. Edgewater police said they will transfer reports to prosecutors this week to determine the final charge list and which county will take the lead. Officials said child-welfare workers have been consulted on placement and on notifications to the court that issued the no-contact order. Police said they plan to release additional documents after routine redactions.
On Monday afternoon, the Sunoco lot was busy again with commuters and delivery trucks. A store employee said customers asked whether the “kids were okay” after seeing the video clip. “It was fast, and then the SUV was gone,” the employee said. Neighbors along nearby U.S. 1 reported increased patrols overnight but no road closures. No injuries to officers or bystanders were reported.
As of Tuesday evening, St. Clair remained jailed in Seminole County as detectives finalized reports for prosecutors. Police said the next milestone is the charging decision and a formal arraignment set for February.
Author note: Last updated December 23, 2025.