Mother Arrested After Leaving Child Unattended at Florida Casino

A woman has been charged with child neglect after she left her infant alone in a stroller at the entrance of Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Hollywood in Florida on Christmas Eve. 

Local police were called to the scene, and they promptly located the baby, who was left by himself near a bell desk employee. 

Shortly after, the mother, Rubi C. Verduzco, 29, of Bethany, Oklahoma, was arrested. 

This comes after two parents were arrested for leaving their child in their car while playing at a Pennsylvania casino.

Baby Had a Soiled Diaper

“[The] infant [was] wearing a soiled diaper in a stroller out in the open elements,” according to a police report.

Just before the clock struck the next day for Christmas, three men brought the child by the bell desk near the Old Main Entrance at the casino and walked away. 

An employee alerted the Seminole Police Department and stayed with the child until tribal police arrived. 

Verduzco showed up 15 minutes later. It’s unclear if she showed up on her own or because she was alerted by police and/or casino employees. 

According to police, Verduzco appeared to be intoxicated, citing watery, bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, and her breath smelled like alcohol. 

Father of Baby Says Mother Should Be Arrested

During their interaction with Verduzco, she was confused regarding the child's birthdate. 

According to the police report, she couldn’t say “who, where, or for what length of time she left her baby.”

Her identity was confirmed by her Oklahoma-issued medical marijuana card. She was booked into Broward County’s Main Jail in Fort Lauderdale, and bail was set at $2,500. 

While in jail, she called a man she said was the child's father. The father first told police he was still in Oklahoma. He later claimed to be in Orlando but couldn’t guarantee he’d be able to pick the child up from the casino. 

According to reports, the man said that not only should Verduzco be arrested, but custody of the child should be given to state authorities. 

Officers alerted the Florida Department of Children and Families, and the baby was placed in the agency’s care. 

It’s unclear what age or gender the baby is. It’s also unclear why Verduzco was at the casino or how the three men who dropped the baby off had the baby in their possession, to begin with. 

Verduzco has since been released from jail, and the case has been turned over to local prosecutors.