An Oklahoma woman was arrested on Tuesday, Dec. 24 after her baby was allegedly abandoned at a Florida hotel and casino.
Rubi Verduzco, 29, was taken into custody on two counts of felony child neglect.
A police officer was called to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood on Christmas Eve and “observed an infant wearing a soiled diaper out in the open elements,” according to a Seminole Police Department probable cause affidavit.
An employee told the officer that three men had left the baby by the bell desk and walked away. The baby was allegedly alone for about 30 minutes before the officer arrived.
The officer wrote in the affidavit that Verduzco arrived about 15 minutes later, alleging “she fought with her ‘Baby Daddy,’ and the baby was left with some unknown friends whom she was unable to name.”
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
Desiree Navarro/Getty
She allegedly appeared “very intoxicated, displaying bloodshot, watery eyes, slurring of her speech and a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from her breath.”
Verduzco allegedly told police the baby’s name but was unsure of the date of birth, per the affidavit.
According to the affidavit, she called a man who told police he was the baby’s father, and he was in Oklahoma. He allegedly said the state should take custody of the child.
The man soon called back and told the officer that he was actually in Orlando and “wasn’t sure if he could come to the Hard Rock and retrieve his child,” per the affidavit. The officer said he could not verify whether the man was actually the baby’s father.
The officer said Verduzco was arrested due to “not knowing who, where, or for what length of time she left her baby.”
The Florida Department of Children and Families took custody of the infant. Verduzco was booked into Broward County jail on a $2,500 bond, per NBC6.
