Casinos see their fair share of gambling addicts, and Resorts World Casino in South Ozone Park is apparently no exception.
Vigilance lead security guards at the casino to discover a five-year-girl left alone in an unheated vehicle this past Saturday around 11 am, with temperatures below freezing. The girl’s grandmother, identified as Renee Osby, 56, of Brooklyn, had made an earlier attempt to bring her into the casino with her, but the pair was turned away due to the casino’s “no children allowed” policy. When guards noticed the woman alone and playing slots a short time later, they went searching for the child who had initially accompanied her into the casino. They were able to locate her in a vehicle parked in the casino’s lot, at which time they notified the police.
The girl was removed from the car safe and sound, though shivering, and her grandmother returned to the vehicle about an hour later. Osby claimed to have been inside only briefly to cash a check. She was arrested for acting in a manner injurious to a child.
The five-year-old was reunited with her mother later that day.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, Gamblers Anonymous of New York’s toll-free hotline is 855-2CALLGA (222-5542).
By Eugénie Bisulco
