The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
A mother was arrested after allegedly spending 2 hours gambling inside an adult arcade while her baby was alone in the car with the windows rolled up.
32-year-old Bionca Lockett is a Florida woman with an infant daughter.
Early in the afternoon on March 4, Lockett reportedly strapped her child into a car seat and drove her black Nissan Sentra to the Pirates North Arcade in Sebastian.
Pirates has electronic gambling machines, and it was reported that Lockett went inside to partake in the gaming while her baby was left in the vehicle by herself.
According to reports, it was just over 80 degrees outside, and the air conditioner was left on in the unlocked automobile.
Someone walked by and noticed the infant alone in the car, and they called the authorities.
A deputy from the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office went to the location and tried to find the baby’s caretaker.
When they were unable to locate anyone, they opened the door of the vehicle to check on the infant. It was reported that she had chapped lips and other indicators of being dehydrated and malnourished. The girl also reportedly had crusted feces on her body.
According to the affidavit, Lockett returned to the vehicle approximately 10 minutes after the deputy showed up.
When she was questioned about leaving the infant by herself, Lockett allegedly said that she left the baby in the car with one of her friends.
Lockett reportedly recanted her statement and admitted that she left the child by herself while she went into the establishment but said that she only thought she would be there for a few minutes.
It was asserted that Lockett left her daughter in the vehicle for nearly two hours while she gambled in Pirates.
Lockett was taken into custody and booked into the Indian River County Jail. She is facing charges for felony child neglect, and she is incarcerated on a $50,000 bond.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a domestic violence offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.