A woman in Lincoln, Nebraska, is facing serious charges after leaving a four-year-old girl alone in a car while she spent hours playing games inside a rest stop, police said.
Brittney Clark, 27, was arrested last week after the troubling incident at Shoemaker’s Travel Center, a truck stop in Lincoln. It all began around 4:30 a.m. on Tuesday when someone called 911 to report a young child left unattended in a car.
When officers arrived, they found the little girl alone in the vehicle. The radio was blasting, the window was partially rolled down, and the car’s engine was off. To make matters worse, the temperature outside was freezing—around 24 degrees. The child had even soiled herself by the time police got there.
Clark, who was supposed to be the child’s caregiver, was found inside the truck stop, deeply engrossed in playing “skill games,” which are like casino-style games where players can win money. Employees at the stop told police Clark had been playing for about two hours.
When officers confronted her, Clark claimed she had left the heat running in the car to keep the child warm. But police quickly pointed out that wasn’t possible since the engine was off.
Things took an even darker turn when police tried to arrest Clark. She lashed out, biting one officer and kneeing another in the groin. Despite her resistance, she was taken into custody.
The child was placed into emergency care, and Clark now faces some serious charges, including felony child abuse and assaulting an officer. Her bond has been set at $10,000.
It’s a sobering reminder of the dangers of leaving children unattended in vehicles—especially in extreme weather.
