SEBASTIAN, Fla. — A mother in Indian River County was arrested after deputies said she left her infant in a car while she gambled at an arcade.
The sheriff's office said Bionca Kimyata Lockett, 32, of Sebastian was arrested Friday.
Lockett is accused of leaving her 27-day-old child in a car while she gambled inside an arcade located in the Sebastian Square plaza in the 11600 block of U.S. 1.
The car had been left running and the doors were unlocked while she was inside the building.
Investigators said the infant was found to be dehydrated and the mother was without food for the baby, prompting a deputy to leave and buy formula for the child.
Lockett faces felony charges of child neglect.
Deputies noted that the baby had poor hygiene from poor cleaning.
Investigators said the infant also had dried skin and chapped lips and appeared to be malnourished.
They determined that Lockett left the baby unattended in the unlocked car in the busy plaza for about 1 3/4 hours.
