Parents allegedly leave three kids unsupervised at Pickering Casino

Two parents face charges after allegedly leaving their three kids unsupervised to gamble at the Pickering Casino.

On April 8, Casino security found three children (ages 10, nine and two) playing in the road on Church Street, according to Durham Police. Security called 911 for a wellness call. The responding officers learned the children had allegedly been left behind in a car while their parents went into the casino at 888 Durham Live Ave.

The 10-year-old told the officers their mother had left them there so she could play in the casino, police say. She said they had been given a cell phone but it had died while the children were waiting. Further investigation discovered security footage of the car. Officers then learned the children had been left alone for more than four hours.

The parents were found in the casino and now face charges under the Child, Youth and Family Services Act. 

An Aurora woman, 39, is the mother of the 10-year-old and the nine-year-old. She’s been charged with leaving a child unattended. A Markham, 41, woman is the mother of the two-year-old. She’s been charged with the same.

The Children’s Aid Society has been contacted and has launched an investigation of their own.