An Oklahoma woman was arrested on Tuesday, December 24, after her baby was allegedly abandoned at a Florida hotel and casino.
Rubi Verduzco, 29, was charged with two counts of felony child neglect... Continue reading here ▶
A police officer was called to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood on Christmas Eve. According to a police report, the officer found a baby wearing a dirty diaper, left outside in the open for about 30 minutes.
Hotel staff told the officer that three men had left the baby by the bell desk and walked away.
About 15 minutes later, Verduzco arrived and told the officer that she had been fighting with the child’s father and had left the baby with some friends she couldn’t name.
The officer noted that Verduzco appeared very intoxicated, with bloodshot, watery eyes, slurred speech, and a strong smell of alcohol on her breath. She was able to tell police the baby’s name but did not know the date of birth.
Verduzco contacted a man who claimed to be the baby’s father, saying he was in Oklahoma. However, he later told the officer he was actually in Orlando and wasn’t sure if he could come to pick up the child. Police were unable to confirm if the man was the child’s father.
Verduzco was arrested because she did not know who she had left her baby with, where the baby had been, or how long the baby had been left alone.
The Florida Department of Children and Families took custody of the baby. Verduzco was booked into Broward County jail with a $2,500 bond, according to NBC6.
