A heartbreaking incident captured the attention of American media. A mother, caught up in the allure of a casino, left her young child alone in a car for over five agonizing hours. When questioned by the police, she tried to downplay the situation, claiming her child had only been left for a few minutes. This troubling event took place in the small town of Catoosa, Oklahoma, nestled in Rogers and Wagoner counties. By the end of May, the town had become a focal point of national concern, as people everywhere grappled with the unsettling reality of the situation.
On the day in question, Dacie Yeager arrived at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa at 9:30 a.m. She left her car running and entered the casino, not emerging again until hours later. Casino security noticed the running vehicle and, upon inspection, discovered a small child locked inside.
Security immediately alerted the police, who extricated the child and took them to a local hospital. When Dacie noticed the police at her car, she rushed out of the casino, claiming the child had only been alone for 20 minutes. However, surveillance footage showed that Dacie entered the casino at 9:30 a.m. and did not leave to check on her child until police arrived at 2:50 p.m., Fox 23 reported.
Police body camera footage released in late June revealed further details. Initially, Dacie told police she had entered the casino to look for the child’s father but later admitted she had been gambling. She also claimed to be a nurse.
The most shocking detail was that the child, only 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 that the baby had some health problems, which is why he had the feeding tube,” Police Chief Ronnie Benight said. “When the baby was taken to the hospital, the baby had a dirty diaper,” Benight emphasized 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 News 9.
Police arrested Dacie Yeager but later released her on bail. She faces charges of child neglect and is awaiting trial. The child was taken into custody by social welfare workers, and it remains uncertain whether the child will be returned to the mother.