Casino Bars Grandma Who Left Kids in Car
A Florida grandmother who made news by leaving her grandchildren in her car while she went to a local casino to gamble was barred by the establishment Friday. Dan Adkins, operator of the Mardi Gras Racetrack and Gaming Center, said he wanted "to send a message to anyone else out there who thinks they might come here and leave their children in their vehicle for whatever reason."
Jeanne Shahan, 53, left her two grandchildren outside in the parking lot of the casino, in Hallandale Beach, Florida, as Tropical Storm Fay beseiged the area with sixty-mile-per-hour winds and intermittent deluges of rain. The two-year-old girl and fourteen-year-old boy were told to wait in the car with the windows up until Shahan returned.
A passing patron noticed the children and notified a security guard. The guard ran out to the vehicle and brought the children to the building. The girl, who was left wearing a jacket even though temperatures neared ninety degrees, was sweating so profusely the guard thought she had been in the pouring rain.
Police estimate the kids were stuck in the car for well over an hour. Now, not only does Shahan lose her favorite place to play, she also faces two counts of aggravated child neglect.
Adkins noted that the incident was unique to the best of his knowledge at the dog track and racino, and said the ban would hopefully get the message out that this behavior wouldn't be tolerated.
