Woman Who Left Child in Car At Maryland Live! Casino Will Spend 5 Days In Jail
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ)--A Baltimore woman who left her child unattended in a vehicle for eight hours while she gambled at Maryland Live! Casino in December pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment Thursday afternoon.
A judge sentenced Alicia Brown, 25, to three years, suspending all but five days in jail, to begin Thursday.
Brown was placed on supervised probation for three years. She was ordered to continue general counseling and to not enter any casino or gaming facility.
"Leaving a young child unattended in a vehicle is not only dangerous, it's illegal. Even a quick run into a convenience store can result in tragic consequences, such as injury, car theft or abduction," State's Attorney Anne Colt Leitess said. "This case is particularly disturbing as Ms. Brown left her child unattended for not minutes, but hours. We are fortunate this case did not have a more tragic outcome."
On Dec. 31, 2013, Anne Arundel County Police responded to a parking garage for Maryland Live! Casino in Hanover for a report of a child left unattended in a vehicle. Officers spoke with a security manager, who stated a 4-year-old girl was discovered inside a GMC Terrain by a security officer. The officer discovered the child alone in the vehicle and crying. The child told the officer that her mother told her she would be right back and left her alone.
Security footage showed the GMC entering the garage at about 10 a.m. The child was discovered at 6:31 p.m. There was no food or drink left for the girl or any means to stay warm. The vehicle was not running and keys were not found inside it. When asked, the girl told the officer she was not OK. She had also urinated herself in the vehicle.
Brown arrived on scene and identified herself as the child's mother. She was placed under arrest.
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