Police: Man left three children alone inside vehicle while gambling at Sands

The threat to children because of GAMBLING ADDICTION.....

...WHO'S THE SIMPLETON?







Police: Man left three children alone inside vehicle while gambling at Sands

By Pamela Lehman, Of The Morning Call
August 20, 2014

An Easton man allegedly left his three young children alone in his vehicle Wednesday morning while he gambled at the Sands casino.


Maurice Cook, 30, of the 600 block of Wolf Avenue, is charged with reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of a child. He was sent to County Prison under $30,000 bail.


Bethlehem police said Cook's three children — ages 1, 5 and 8 — were in the vehicle for 45 minutes with the doors locked until they were freed by police. Cook admitted he has a gambling addiction and was in the casino playing blackjack, police said.

"A concrete parking garage is not a baby sitter," Chief Mark DiLuzio said. "This is totally unacceptable."

According to court records:
Sands security officers patrolling the garage around 10:15 a.m. found the children in the vehicle on the first deck.

Video surveillance showed Cook going into the casino around 9:30 a.m.

Cook admitted to police that he has a gambling addiction and said he left the children in the car.

"I am sorry for what I did," Cook told police.

DiLuzio said Sands security officers bought pizza and juice for the children. The children were examined by paramedics and released to a relative.

DiLuzio said the case will be referred to Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli's office. In 2011, Morganelli said he would seek "severe sanctions" on parents who left their children alone while gambling and would not allow any of those charged to participate in a program for first-time offenders.

DiLuzio said the casino includes a supervised children's entertainment center for children ages 6 weeks to 12 years that parents may use.

— Pamela Lehman



Read more: http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-bethlehem-sands-gamble-children-alone-vehicle-20140820,0,7803053.story#ixzz3B1dTSLAw
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