Woman Accused of Abandoning Newborn for Five Hours at an Oklahoma Casino.
A mother abandoned her sick, 16-month-old child in a vehicle for more than five hours while she was inside a casino gambling. The incident was revealed by Oklahoma cops this week.
Dacie Yeager faces charges of child neglect for her actions on May 31 at the Hard Rock Hotel And Casino Tulsa.
Security personnel at the Catoosa, Okla. entertainment venue first noticed the child alone in the car. The engine was left on, and the vehicle doors were locked.
Police officers were forced to break into the car and save the infant, who relies on a feeding tube. The child was taken to a nearby hospital.
Yeager arrived at the casino at 9:30 a.m. and did not return to the car until 3 p.m., when she hurriedly exited the casino upon seeing police by the car.
Initially, Yeager told officers the child was left in the car for approximately 20 minutes. However, after reviewing casino surveillance footage, it was discovered that she was alone for over five hours, as stated by Catoosa officers.
Conversation with the Police
Recently released body camera footage from a police officer shows the interaction between the suspect and the officer, as reported by Oklahoma TV station KWTV.
Officer: "Ma'am stand still. Hand over your ID immediately."
Officer: "Why did you leave a baby in the car?"
Yeager: "I went to find his father."
Officer: "Why did you leave an infant in the car?"
Yeager: "I went to find his father."
Officer: "This is stuff that puts people in prison. Why did you leave an infant in the car?"
Yeager: "I was just out..."
Officer: "We need to check on the child's well-being."
Yeager: "I’m a nurse."
Officer: "Is the child okay?"
Officer: "Did you have a little gamble when you arrived?"
Yeager: "Yes..."
Yeager was arrested and sent to Rogers County jail. She paid bail and the case is now being heard in local court.
The child was taken by child welfare services.
Police Chief's Criticism
"The mom said the child was born premature, has some medical issues, and has a feeding tube that wasn’t properly taken care of. When they arrived at the hospital, the child had a dirty diaper," Catoosa Police Chief Ronnie Benight told KWTV.
How careless can you get? If you have issues, seek help. Especially when it puts your children in danger," Benight added. "Someone could break into your car and steal it, the car could stop running, the air conditioning could fail."
The temperature that day in Catoosa was 78 degrees, according to AccuWeather.
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