Parx Officials Discuss Children in Vehicles with State Gaming Board

One of the first items on the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board’s agenda for its monthly meeting today was an informational hearing regarding children left in vehicles by Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment, Inc., the owners of Parx Casino.

According to a story on PhillyBurbs.com, the board asked Parx last year to come up with a plan for dealing with a series of incidents in which children were left in cars.

As recently as July, there were two such incidents:

• Michael Roytman, 29, of Oakwood Drive, Huntington Valley, left his 6-year-old daughter in his car in the parking lot of Parx Casino for 10 minutes.
• On July 16 at 6:55 p.m., Parx security observed three children left alone inside a running vehicle. Bensalem police found a 1-year-old boy, a 2-year-old boy and a 9-year-old girl in the car for at least 17 minutes. Frances Casey, 39, of Abington, the children's aunt, said she went into the casino to redeem a promotional voucher for free pots and pans.  She also played two slot machines before returning to her vehicle. Casey was charged with endangering the welfare of children.

According to the Gaming Control Board, there are 11 people on the state’s exclusion list for leaving kids in cars outside Pennsylvania casinos while they gambled inside. There were eight incidents at Parx and three at other state casinos.

Here is the list:

• On March 24, 2010, Michelle L. Shulskie was charged with the offenses of Endangering the Welfare of Children and Leaving an Unattended Child in a Motor Vehicle after leaving her 13-year-old son and her 22-month-old son in a vehicle while she gambled at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs in Wilkes-Barre.
• On March 24, 2010, Floyd H. Robinson Jr. was charged with the offenses of Endangering the Welfare of Children and Leaving an Unattended Child in a Motor Vehicle after leaving his twenty-two month old son and a thirteen year old boy in a vehicle while he gambled at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs in Wilkes-Barre.
• On October 11, 2010, Tan Duy Truong was arrested and charged with two counts of Endangering the Welfare of Children and one count of Public Drunkenness for leaving his 8-year-old and 6-year- old daughters unattended in a vehicle while he gambled at Parx.
• On August 29, 2010, Hoang Le Pham was accused of leaving two children, ages six and seven, unattended in a parked car in a parking garage while he gambled at Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh. No criminal charges have been filed.
• On September 2, 2010, Alexander Salter, Jr. was arrested for one count of Endangering the Welfare of Children after leaving his 12-year-old grandson in a vehicle while he played slot machines for approximately 26 minutes at Parx.
• On August 19, 2010, Karren Earl was charged with Recklessly Endangering Another Person and Endangering the Welfare of Children after leaving her 11-year-old niece in her vehicle while she gambled for approximately 23 minutes at Parx on July 14, 2010.
• On August 10, 2010, Sharon Balek was arrested on charges of child endangerment after leaving her 8- year-old daughter and her daughter’s 16-year-old half sister in her vehicle while she gambled at Parx for approximately five hours.
• On February 18, 2010, Xin Li was charged with two counts of Endangering the Welfare of Children. Pennsylvania State Police criminally charged Li for leaving his five-year-old son and six-year-old son unattended outside Parx while he entered the casino and gambled.
• On February 18, 2010, Fajiao Sun was charged with one count of Endangering the Welfare of Children. Pennsylvania State Police criminally charged Sun for leaving his ten-year-old daughter unattended outside Parx while he entered the casino and gambled.
• On August 25, 2010, Paul Vargas was charged with two counts of Endangering the Welfare of Children and Driving with a Suspended License with a BAC of .02% or Greater. Bensalem Township Police arrested Vargas at Parx for leaving his 12-year-old son and 7-year-old son in his vehicle while he entered the casino and gambled.
• On June 15, 2010, Donald Waige was charged with Endangering the Welfare of Children and Recklessly Endangering Another Person. Bensalem Township Police arrested Waige at Parx for leaving his 15-month-old son in his vehicle while he entered the Casino and gambled.