Oklahoma woman accused of abandoning baby at Florida casino on Christmas Eve
Rubi Casteneda Verduzco
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. - A 29-year-old Oklahoma woman was arrested on Christmas Eve after authorities say she abandoned her baby at a Florida hotel and casino.
Rubi Verduzco, of Bethany, Oklahoma, was charged with two counts of felony child neglect without great bodily harm. She was taken into custody by the Seminole Police Department and booked into the North Broward Bureau jail. Her bond was set at $2,500, and she was released after posting bond, authorities said.
The incident occurred at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. According to an affidavit from the Seminole Police Department, an officer responded to the front desk area where a baby in a stroller wearing a soiled diaper had been left unattended for approximately 30 minutes. The baby had been brought to the desk by three unidentified men who left immediately after dropping off the child.
Approximately 15 minutes after the police arrived, Verduzco reportedly appeared. She allegedly told officers she had fought with the child’s father and left the baby with unnamed friends. Officers noted, she appeared very intoxicated, displaying bloodshot, watery eyes, slurred speech, and a strong odor of alcohol.
The Florida Department of Children and Families took custody of the infant. According to the arrest report, Verduzco was arrested because she did not know with whom, where, or for how long she had left her baby. Police said she was identified through her Oklahoma medical marijuana card.
Verduzco appeared before a magistrate judge on Dec. 26 and was later released from jail after posting bond. No further information about the baby’s condition was immediately available.
The Source: The Broward County Clerk of Court provided the records for this article. The mug shot was obtained from the Broward County Sheriff's Office. This story is being reported out of Atlanta.