A few weeks ago, American media reported on a disturbing incident in which a woman left her young son alone in a car for more than five hours while she gambled at a casino. The woman initially told police that the child had only been in the car for a few minutes. The incident occurred in Catoosa, a town in Rogers and Wagoner counties, Oklahoma, which became the focus of national attention in late May due to this disturbing situation.
On the day in question, Dacie Yeager arrived at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa at 9:30 a.m. She left the car running and entered the casino, not leaving until hours later. Casino security noticed the vehicle running and, upon inspection, discovered a small child locked inside.
Security immediately alerted the police, who rescued the boy and took him to a local hospital. When Dacie noticed the police were in her car, she ran out of the casino, claiming the boy had only been alone for 20 minutes. However, surveillance footage showed Dacie entered the casino at 9:30 a.m. and did not come out to check on her son until police arrived at 2:50 p.m. Fox 23 reported.
Police body camera footage released in late June revealed more details. Dacie initially told police she had entered the casino to look for the girl’s father, but later admitted she had been gambling. She also claimed to be a nurse.
The most shocking detail was that the child, just 16 months old and disabled with a feeding tube, was left in the car for hours. “The baby’s mother said she had given birth to the baby early and the baby had some health issues, which is why he had the feeding tube,” said Police Chief Ronnie Benight. “When they took the baby to the hospital, the baby had a dirty diaper,” Benight stressed that while they have investigated cases where parents accidentally leave a baby in a car, this case was deliberate, which he considered worse, according to the report. News 9.
Police arrested Dacie Yeager but later released her on bail. She faces child neglect charges and is awaiting trial. The girl was detained by social workers and it is not known whether she will be returned to her mother.