A New Jersey mother is facing criminal charges after authorities say she left her young child alone in a vehicle while she gambled inside a Pennsylvania casino.
According to police, the incident occurred on the evening of April 14 at Parx Casino and Racing, where officers responded to a report of an unattended child in a parking lot.
When officers arrived, they discovered a 14-month-old boy strapped into a car seat in the back of a locked vehicle. The engine was off, and the windows were closed, despite outdoor temperatures reaching the mid-80s.
Authorities say the child had been left alone for more than two hours while his mother, 37-year-old Leola Dualuqua, of Willingboro, remained inside the casino gambling.
Police were able to gain entry to the vehicle and remove the child, who was reportedly sweating and wearing a soiled diaper. He was taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation and later released to his father.
Investigators later located the child’s mother inside the casino. She was taken into custody and charged with offenses including endangering the welfare of a child and leaving a child unattended in a vehicle.
Safety officials continue to warn about the dangers of leaving children in parked cars, noting that interior temperatures can rise rapidly—even on moderately warm days—posing a serious risk of heat-related illness or death.
The case remains under investigation.
