Mom accused of leaving toddler in hot car while she gambled inside Parx Casino

A mother is facing charges after she allegedly left her 14-month-old son in a hot vehicle while she gambled at Parx Casino in Bensalem, Pennsylvania.

According to the Bensalem Police Department, just before 9 p.m. on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, officers responded to the parking lot at Parx Casino after receiving a report about an unattended child inside a vehicle.

Upon arrival, police said officers found a 14-month-old child in the backseat of a locked vehicle that was not running, with the windows closed

Police said that the child appeared to be sleeping but was visibly sweating, as outside temperatures were in the mid-80s.

Officers were able to gain entry into the vehicle and safely rescue the child, according to police. The child’s father was notified, and Bensalem EMS transported the child to a nearby hospital for evaluation. The child was later released to his father.

Police said Parx Casino security assisted officers on scene and during the investigation.

It was found that the child’s mother, Leola Dualuqua, 37, of Willingboro, New Jersey, had left the child unattended in the vehicle at around 6:28 PM and did not return, police said She was later found inside the casino actively gambling.

Dualuqua was taken into custody and charged with endangering the welfare of a child and leaving a child in an unattended motor vehicle, police reported.

She was arraigned by District Justice Corryn Kronnagel and taken to the Bucks County Correctional Facility.