Ohio Casino Visitors Arrested After Children Allegedly Left Alone in Vehicle

Another dad is in jail after abandoning three children in a parked car at an Ohio casino establishment.

The second parent accused of leaving the kids unattended in the car on May 21 is Joshua Griffin of Indiana. According to Kentucky TV station WXIX, the kids were identified as a seven-year-old and twin 18-month-old babies.

Griffin is expected to appear in Hamilton County court on Wednesday after being taken into custody on Saturday. Three accusations of endangering minors were brought against him, as reported by Ohio TV station WKRC.

Griffin got out of the car with another adult, and they went into the Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati, according to local press sources. It's unknown if they engaged in gaming within the structure.

 

Unable to Post Bond

Griffin hasn't been able to post a $9,000 bond in recent days. Ohio TV station WLWT reports that Griffin's attorney would attempt to have him freed on his own recognizance. Thus, he won't be required to post a bail.

A judge had previously declined to reduce or abolish the bail sum. The judge brought up the fact that, in addition to being an Indiana resident, Griffin "was in the 'pen [in Indiana] for one year,'" citing court documents.

According to reports, Griffin's lawyer says the kids are no longer in his custody. Reports from the local media provide no explanation for why that is the case.

 

Charged to Another Parent

After being charged with the incident in the past, Rushville, Indiana's Kylie Pratt, the second parent, was freed from detention without posting a bond. In local court, Pratt's case is still pending.

Both parents may be subject to a jail term and fines if found guilty. The sentence's duration and the punishment could be treble due to the three offenses.

As per the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office, Pratt was also charged with three charges of endangering children, much like Griffin.

Deputies apparently saw the couple leaving the kids in the car on security footage from the casino before making the arrests. After loading the kids into the car, the parents headed the eighty miles from Rushville, Indiana to the Hard Rock casino.

The duration of the three kids' lonesome stay in the car before police arrived to save them has not been disclosed, and there have been no reports of any injuries among the kids. AccuWeather reports that the temperature in Cincinnati that day was between 61 and 68 degrees.

It's unknown who is looking after the kids right now.