Woman Charged After Child Found Alone in Vehicle at Pennsylvania Casino
BENSALEM, Pa. – A New Jersey woman has been arrested after police found her 14-month-old child alone inside a locked vehicle in a casino parking lot.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:Authorities say the child had been left unattended for several hours while the mother was inside Parx Casino gambling.
Bensalem Township Police were called to the property on Street Road shortly before 9 p.m. on April 14 following a report of a child left inside a car. When officers arrived, they found the toddler in the back seat of a locked vehicle that was turned off with the windows closed.
Police said the child appeared to be asleep but was sweating, with outside temperatures in the mid-80s. Officers forced entry into the vehicle and removed the child, who was then taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation. He was later released into the care of his father.
Related: Mass. Woman Allegedly Left Baby and Dog in a Car to Play Slots
Investigation Points to Extended Absence
According to investigators, casino security footage and internal checks showed the child’s mother had left him in the vehicle at around 6:30 p.m. and did not return for several hours. Officers later located her inside the casino actively gambling.
The woman was identified as 37-year-old Leola Dualuqua of Willingboro, New Jersey. She was taken into custody and charged with endangering the welfare of a child and leaving a child unattended in a motor vehicle.
Police said the vehicle was not running at the time the child was found, raising concern given the temperature conditions and the length of time involved.
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Charges Filed and Court Proceedings Scheduled
Dualuqua was arraigned and initially held at the Bucks County Correctional Facility on $25,000 bail. Court records show she later posted 10% of that amount and was released ahead of further proceedings.
A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for April 30, according to court documents.
Authorities did not report any lasting injuries to the child, but said the situation posed serious risk given the weather and conditions inside the vehicle.
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