An Ohio mother is facing charges of child endangerment after allegedly leaving her children unattended in a frigid casino parking lot. Shaneja Gamble, 22, was apprehended on January 5 when security personnel at the Hollywood Casino Toledo noticed two children alone in a vehicle in the casino’s parking area. The security team promptly informed an off-duty Toledo Police Department officer who was present at the scene.
The arrest affidavit did not provide specific details on how the security team and the off-duty officer located Gamble. It also did not disclose what Gamble was doing at the time she allegedly left her children unattended. However, the young mother was eventually located and taken into custody. The ages of the children involved were not disclosed. Gamble was processed and held at the Lucas County Corrections Center on the same day.
According to the affidavit, the air temperature in Toledo on January 5 was a chilly 26 degrees. The vehicle in which the children were found was not running and was unlocked when the officer arrived at the scene. No information was provided regarding the current condition of the children or who is presently caring for them.
Gamble appeared in court for her arraignment on January 6. Court records indicate that she was released on her own recognizance. She entered a plea of not guilty to a misdemeanor charge of endangering children and creating a substantial risk to their health or safety. The date of her next court appearance was not listed in the court records.
This incident is not an isolated case. Law&Crime previously reported a similar incident involving a Brooklyn-based couple who allegedly left their 6-year-old in their car in the parking lot of a Pennsylvania casino in late December, during sub-zero temperatures. In the same week, another young mother was accused of leaving her infant at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.