A 22-year-old woman from Ohio, Shaneja Gamble, is facing charges for allegedly putting her children in danger after leaving them alone in a freezing car outside the Hollywood Casino Toledo. The incident happened on January 5, and the chilling details have raised serious concerns.
According to an arrest report, security guards at the casino’s parking structure spotted two young children sitting alone in a car. They immediately called an off-duty Toledo Police Department officer who was nearby. While the report didn’t explain exactly how they tracked down Gamble or what she was doing inside the casino, officers managed to locate and arrest her. The ages of the children were not revealed in the report.
Here’s where it gets even more alarming—the temperature in Toledo that day was a bone-chilling 26 degrees. The car wasn’t running, and its doors were unlocked when the officer arrived. Details about the children’s condition or who is currently looking after them haven’t been made public yet.
Gamble was booked into the Lucas County Corrections Center that same day. The following morning, she appeared in court for her arraignment and was released on her own recognizance. She pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge of child endangerment, which accuses her of creating a serious risk to her children’s safety. Her next court date hasn’t been scheduled, according to court records.
This isn’t an isolated incident. Just last month, a Brooklyn couple was accused of leaving their 6-year-old child in a car at a Pennsylvania casino parking lot during freezing temperatures. In another case, a young mother in Florida allegedly left her baby at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood during the same week. These cases highlight a troubling trend and underline the risks children face in such situations.
Let’s hope this story serves as a wake-up call about the importance of putting children’s safety first, no matter the circumstances.
