Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
A New Jersey woman was arrested last week after police say she left her 14-month-old child alone in a locked car for more than two hours while she gambled at Parx Casino.
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Leola Dualuqua, 37, of Willingboro, New Jersey, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child and leaving a child in an unattended motor vehicle.
Bensalem Township police responded to the casino parking lot at 8:53 p.m. Tuesday, April 14, after reports of a child left in a vehicle.
Officers discovered the toddler in the backseat of a locked, non-running car with the windows rolled up, police said.
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The child appeared to be sleeping, and officers noted the toddler was visibly sweating. Outside temperatures at the time were in the mid-80s, police said.
Police said they gained entry to the vehicle and removed the child safely.
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After the child’s father was contacted, Bensalem EMS transported the toddler to St. Mary Medical Center in Middletown Township for evaluation. The child was later released to the father’s care, police said.
After an investigation with assistance by Parx Casino security, authorities determined Dualuqua had left the child in the car at approximately 6:28 p.m.
Security located her inside the casino, where police said she was gambling, authorities said.
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Dualuqua was arraigned by District Judge Corryn Kronnagel. She was remanded to the Bucks County Correctional Facility and released after posting 10 percent of $25,000 bail.
In a statement, the Bensalem Township Police Department thanked Parx Security for their “diligent efforts” in assisting with the investigation.
Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
