PLATTE COUNTY, Mo. — A Kansas City, Kan., mother faces charges of child endangerment after police say she left her children alone while she gambled inside a casino.
Police say Katrina Denise Roades, 31, left her three children, ages 9, 8 and six months old outside in the parking lot on March 3, while she went to play slots at the Argosy Casino.
A security officer found one of the older girls wandering in the parking lot. The girl told the officer her mom’s name and led the officer to the family’s car. That’s when the officer found the other daughter and the infant. Police believe Roades was inside the casino for about an hour and a half from 4 p.m. until 6:20 p.m., leaving the kids alone in 40 degree temperatures.
Police say Roades likely has a gambling addiction, as she voluntarily put herself on the “Disassociated Persons List”. This voluntary self-exclusion program was designed in 1996 as a recovery tool that could be used by compulsive gamblers in their overall recovery program.
In addition to the charges for endangering the welfare of a child, Roades also faces a trespassing charge since her name was on this list.
Both of the offenses are misdemeanors. The endangerment charge carries a punishment of one year in jail and a $1,000 fine, while the sentencing for trespassing is up to six months in jail and a $500 fine.
Roades will be back in court April 17 in Platte County.
