Rhode Island Authorities Arrest Gambler for Leaving Baby Unattended

The Rhode Island authorities have arrested a Massachusetts woman who left her baby unattended in a car while she gambled. To make matters worse, this happened on a hot summer day.

The Woman Was Charged with Neglect

On July 12, the Tiverton Police Department was tipped off about a child who was left unattended at the Bally’s Tiverton Casino & Sportsbook parking lot. When officers arrived at the scene, they found the vehicle unlocked with the fifteen-month-old baby inside.  

While initial reports didn’t specify whether the AC was on, weather reports say that the temperature outside was approximately 25 degrees Celsius or 77 degrees Fahrenheit at the time.

Whether the weather was hot or not is beside the point, however, as the baby’s mother, later identified as Elyse Busch, had violated the rule that prohibits parents from leaving children unattended.

The woman was found on the casino premises playing on a slot machine. She was immediately arrested and charged with child neglect, but was eventually released on a $3K bail. She is set to appear in court on July 17.

The child, on the other hand, was taken to Hasbro Children’s Hospital and later handed to another family member.

Leaving Kids Unattended Can Be Deadly

While this case is by no means unique, it follows a concerning pattern as many parents continue to leave their children unattended while gambling, despite knowing that this constitutes neglect.

This can be especially dangerous in extreme weather, such as hot summers or cold winters, and sometimes incidents can be deadly. Earlier this summer, a man in Pennsylvania was charged after his dog died in a car while he was playing at a local casino. However, neglect can be deadly to humans too, as proven by other similar cases.

In some states, committing such a violation can get parents banned from gambling for good. In April this year, for example, Pennsylvania put four such parents on its involuntary exclusion list for leaving their kids unattended.