Baby left in hot car as mother found inside casino
Bensalem, PA — A 14-month-old child was rescued from a locked vehicle in a casino parking lot after being left alone for more than two hours in warm conditions, leading to the arrest of the child’s mother.
Officers responded around 8:53 p.m. April 14 to Parx Casino after receiving a report of an unattended child inside a vehicle.
When police arrived, they found the toddler in the backseat of a locked car that was not running, with the windows closed. Authorities said the child appeared to be sweating as temperatures were in the mid-80s.
Officers gained entry into the vehicle and safely removed the child. Emergency medical services transported the child to St. Mary Medical Center for evaluation before being released to the father.
Investigators determined the child had been left in the vehicle around 6:28 p.m. The mother, identified as 37-year-old Leola Dualuqua of Willingboro, New Jersey, was later located inside the casino.
Police said she was actively gambling at the time.
Dualuqua was taken into custody and charged with endangering the welfare of a child and leaving a child in an unattended motor vehicle.
She was arraigned and remanded to the Bucks County Correctional Facility on 10% of $25,000 bail.
Parx Casino security assisted officers during the response and investigation.
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Key Points
- Toddler found alone in locked car at casino parking lot
- Child left for more than two hours in warm temperatures
- Mother arrested and charged with child endangerment