Florida Mum and Stepfather Accused of Leaving Three Young Kids Sweating in Jeep to Gamble, Police Say

A Florida mother and her partner have been charged after police said three children, including a one-year-old, were left sweating inside a switched-off Jeep outside the Seminole Classic Casino Hollywood while the adults gambled inside.

Lillian Mun, 32, and Terrence Dirod Wright, 42, were arrested on Sunday, 1 November, after casino security found the children in the vehicle in the casino's north parking lot in Hollywood, Florida. Seminole police were dispatched shortly after 1.30am, according to an arrest affidavit.

The Jeep's engine was off and its windows were closed. Security staff initially thought the children appeared unresponsive, but after opening the vehicle, found all three conscious and sweating. Officers reported feeling heat coming from inside, while one child had beads of sweat on their face.

Seminole Fire Rescue medics assessed the children and determined they did not require medical attention, the affidavit said. Police said the children had no food, water or phone available to contact an adult or call for help.

Surveillance Footage Contradicts 20-Minute Account

The Jeep arrived in the north parking lot late on Saturday, 31 October, at about 11.50pm. Wright entered the casino shortly afterwards, according to the affidavit.

Wright reportedly told investigators that he had gone inside with Mun to use the bathroom and believed the children remained in the vehicle because he could not locate the keys.

Mun allegedly told officers that she had been inside the Jeep with the children when it switched off. She said she did not have the keys and went inside to find Wright, claiming she had been away for about 20 minutes.

However, investigators said casino surveillance footage contradicted her account. At about 12.38am on Sunday, 1 November, cameras captured a woman matching Mun's description entering the casino.

Three minutes later, she was seen sitting at a slot machine near Wright as he gambled, according to investigators. By 12.44am, police said Mun was using her mobile phone while both adults remained at the machines.

The arrest affidavit said the footage did not show either adult returning to the Jeep to check on the children. Investigators estimated that the children had been left alone for about an hour.

The outside temperature was 76F, with humidity at 89 per cent, according to the affidavit. Officers gave the children water at the scene.

Children Placed With Family Friend

Police said the children were left inside the switched-off vehicle with its windows up. One child was reportedly one year old; the exact ages of all three were redacted in the arrest affidavit, although reports said they were all younger than six.

The affidavit said Mun and Wright had been in a relationship for about three years and lived together as a family. Mun described Wright as her fiancé and a father figure and caregiver to the children. NBC 6 reported that Wright identified himself as their stepfather.

The children were later placed in the care of one of Mun's friends. The Florida Department of Children and Families was notified and asked to conduct a follow-up investigation, according to the reports.

Couple Face Child Neglect Charges

Wright and Mun each face three counts of child neglect without great bodily harm and two counts relating to leaving a child younger than six unattended in a motor vehicle, according to the arrest reporting.

Both appeared before a judge on Monday, 2 November. Wright was granted a $22,500 bond and was later released after posting it, according to NBC 6 and Law&Crime.

Mun was denied bond because she was reportedly on probation for a separate grand theft case. NBC 6 reported that the underlying case involved grand theft of between $5,000 and $10,000 (£3,729.75 and £7,459.50).

No further court dates had been reported by the time of publication. The charges are allegations, and both defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.