An incident that unfolded in Ontario’s Pickering Casino Resort on a quiet Monday evening has left citizens in shock and concern. In a negligence act shrouded by the mesmerizing lights and absorbing sounds of the casino floor, three children were found left unattended in a stationary vehicle for approximately four hours.
The trio of innocent youngsters, aged two, nine, and ten, were discovered alone in a parked car on the property of the illustrious casino resort. As the night descended and the car became their confined playground, the children courageously decided to forge their own adventure. Stepping out from the vehicle, they were found playing on a nearby street, not too far from the casino’s sprawling property.
This unforeseen sight drew the attention of diligent security guards. Upon their casual approach, the startled children revealed the cause of their predicament – their negligent mothers had decided to test their fortunes on the casino floor. One of the mothers had thoughtfully left a cell phone with the children. Yet, the device was discovered to be just as abandoned as the children, devoid of any remaining charge.
Soon, police officers draped in their stern blue uniforms arrived at the scene, their presence tipped off by the casino’s anxious staff. Stunned by the unsuspecting encounter, they initiated a comprehensive investigation. Surveillance footage from the casino’s omnipresent security cameras confirmed their fears – the children had been alone for over four lengthy hours.
This startling revelation led them to the unsuspected culprits – both mothers absorbed by the dreamy allure of the casino floor. Duly arrested by the vigilant Durham Regional Police officers, they were each slapped with charges of leaving a child unattended.
The women, a 39-year-old Aurora, Ontario resident and mother of the older kids, and a 41-year-old Markham, Ontario woman with the two-year-old as her progeny, were not named as part of the official statement from the police. However, the Children’s Aid Society was informed about the incident. Thankfully, none of the children appear to have been injured.
Musing whether this was a unique case? Tragically, not. Misty echoes of similar incidents can be heard from the United States where parents have been detained for leaving their minors unattended amid their gambling dalliances.
Take for instance, the case of Elizabeth Brothers, a 61-year-old resident of Boaz, Alabama. Last week, she found herself ensnared in a criminal offense when she allegedly entered Harrah’s Joliet Casino in Illinois with a firearm. She was charged with unlawful use of a weapon and unlawful possession of ammunition. Having walked into the casino with a firearm in blatant disregard of the law, the metal detector drew the curtain on her illicit possession. Although Brothers possessed a firearm permit that was valid in Alabama, the said permit lacked jurisdiction in Illinois.
These harrowing tales offer a grim reminder of the consequences of neglecting guardianship and adhering to regional legislations. Episodes like these, emerging from the glitzy labyrinths of gaming properties, project a stark counter-narrative to the captivating allure of a lucrative spin, a winning hand, or a lucky draw.
