PITTSBURGH, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Pittsburgh police said they arrested a man and woman for allegedly leaving three young children in a car alone while they gambled at a casino.
The man, Lounla Xayathep, 54, and Phayvonh Peaungvongpakdy, 38, were each charged with three counts of endangering the welfare of children and three counts of leaving infants in a motor vehicle, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported Monday.
Surveillance video showed Peaungvongpakdy entering the casino and leaving Xayathep with the children, a 10-month old girl and two boys, 3 and 10. Two hours later, Xayathep left the car and entered the casino, leaving the children with two half-full baby bottles, a few diapers and a handful of baby wipes, police said.
When Xayathep and Peaungvongpakdy returned to the car after almost an hour, they were arrested.
The two, originally from Laos and reportedly speaking limited English, told officers they are the children's guardians, not parents, but allegedly refused to give officers the names or telephone numbers of family members, the Tribune-Review reported.
