Bally’s Casino Worker Charged in Louisiana After Child Found Alone in Car

Posted on: August 5, 2022, 08:29h. 

Last updated on: August 5, 2022, 12:12h.

Ed Silverstein Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

A woman was arrested Wednesday after she allegedly left a six-year-old child alone in a car for about an hour. The incident occurred in the parking garage at Bally’s Shreveport Casino & Hotel in Louisiana. The child was taken to a local hospital.

Bally's Shreveport Casino & Hotel in Louisiana
Bally’s Shreveport Casino & Hotel in Louisiana, pictured above. A child was left alone in a car parked at the casino’s garage. (Image: Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau)

The car’s engine was off and the windows were rolled up. A passerby notified casino security at about 1:30 pm. Security personnel then notified Shreveport firefighters and cops.

The adult, identified as Kit Yu, 49, was later charged with child desertion, according to WBRZ, a local TV station. KTAL, another local station, reported Yu works part-time at the casino. She was described as the child’s guardian.

Following medical treatment, the child was placed with a family member, the reports added. The temperature on Wednesday ranged from 78 to 100 degrees in Shreveport, according to AccuWeather.

“The Shreveport Police Department reminds citizens not to leave children inside vehicles even on mild or cloudy days because of the extreme temperatures that can be reached within a closed vehicle,” a statement from the police said. “Children should never be left unattended or be able to get inside a vehicle.”

So far this year, 13 children have died in the US after being left in hot cars, the National Safety Council reported. Last year, 23 died after being left in cars.

Prior Incidents

In July 2021, a baby was taken to a Nevada hospital for an exam by doctors. That was after it was found alone in a car parked at Bighorn Casino in North Las Vegas on a hot’s summer’s evening.

The windows were partially rolled down when the baby was seen by police officers. The car was locked. Temperatures outside that day reached a high of 117 degrees in Las Vegas, according to AccuWeather. 

The child was believed to be younger than one year of age. The infant was in a pediatric unit for treatment, KLAS, a local TV station, reported.

Mitchell Anthony Hooks, 39, of Las Vegas, was located in the casino. He was arrested by North Las Vegas police officers. Hooks was charged with child abuse and leaving a child unattended in a motor vehicle, KLAS said. Police said he was gambling in the venue and appeared intoxicated. It was unclear how his case was adjudicated.

Also, last month, a court ordered that a Georgia woman must not have any contact with her three children. That was after they were found unattended in a car at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood in Florida.

For three and a half hours, Icese Laporsha Simmons, 33, of Albany, Ga., played poker in the Florida casino. She now faces three counts of child neglect, WPLG, a local TV station, reported.

Pets Also at Risk

A California man now faces an animal abuse charge after security officers at the Bellagio in Las Vegas rescued a confined three-month-old puppy, news reports revealed. The 50-year-old man allegedly left the young dog in a sweltering car at the casino for two hours. Its mouth was taped shut.

The puppy had no food or water and the car’s air conditioning was not turned on. The dog’s mouth was taped shut with black electrical tape, according to KSNV.

The officer entered the car by climbing in via a sunroof, police said. Another guard gave the dog cold water to drink and relocated the animal to an air-conditioned vehicle.

The temperature in the vehicle was 107.8 degrees, KSNV reported. The car was parked on the Las Vegas Strip hotel-casino garage’s top floor, KLAS said.

The suspect, Raul Carbajal of Corona Del Mar, Calif., parked the car at about 1:13 pm and returned to the car at 3:10 pm, KSNV said.