Police: Mom left child to play slots

Jen Lawson

Thursday, Oct. 7, 2004 | 11:13 a.m.

A Las Vegas mother allegedly left her 3-year-old daughter in the toy aisle of a grocery store while she gambled Wednesday, then when employees complained, the woman took the child to her car where she left the girl for more than an hour in midday heat while she continued to play slots.

Brenda L. Smith, 42, was arrested at Vons at 475 Windmill Lane near Bermuda Road for felony child endangerment, Lt. Brad Simpson of Metro's abuse and neglect section said. The girl was not injured.

Simpson said Smith brought her daughter into the Vons store in the late morning, took her to the toy aisle, gave her a toy and told her to play.

An employee noticed the child crying and went looking for Smith, who was found gambling in the slot pit. The store manager told her she had to watch her child, Simpson said.

After that, Smith allegedly brought her daughter to her black Chevrolet Suburban, which has leather interior, with the windows cracked an inch.

Simpson said Smith then returned to the store and continued to gamble for another 90 minutes. She was arrested shortly after 12:30 p.m. and remained jailed this morning in the Clark County Detention Center in lieu of $3,000 bail.

The length of time was verified by the store surveillance video, police said.

National Weather Service officials said this morning that the official high temperature recorded at McCarran International Airport around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday was 87 degrees.

Smith's vehicle was parked almost 300 feet from the store entrance, which Simpson believes was an attempt by Smith to conceal the fact that she left her daughter unattended.

The girl was taken to a hospital to be checked for injuries but she was fine, Simpson said. Smith's 6-year-old daughter, who was at school when the incident occurred, was taken into protective custody.

A Vons manager declined to comment on the incident.

There is no law in Nevada that specifically states that leaving a child in an unattended vehicle, in and of itself, constitutes neglect. The statute defines neglect as physical or mental injury of a nonaccidental nature.

Sometimes police investigate and then, instead of making an arrest on the spot, forward the case to the district attorney's office.

However, Simpson said, "this was a pretty clear-cut case."

"You should never leave a child unattended in a vehicle," he added. "I don't care if it's the dead of winter or in the summer. Adults can take care of themselves but children depend on us to take care of them."

Janette Fennell, president and founder of Kids and Cars, a national organization based in Kansas, has been trying to educate the public about the dangers of leaving children unattended in hot vehicles and has reached out to the Las Vegas community in particular.

"It's hard to believe people are still doing it," she said.

She said Wednesday's incident was purposeful, making it especially egregious.

"We deal with people who sometimes forget their children, but after being warned about leaving her child alone then locking her in her car -- I hope they will prosecute to the full extent of the law."