Casino patron accused of leaving infant in car gets probation

Prior Lake American

A Golden Valley woman was awarded two years supervised probation for child endangerment charges.

A successful completion of probation will result in a dismissal of the charges.

Jodi Marie Smith, 42, was charged with gross misdemeanor child endangerment after she allegedly left her infant son in a vehicle while she gambled at Little Six Casino, 2354 Sioux Trail, in Prior Lake in April.

Prior Lake police were called to the casino on April 4 to investigate a report of an infant left alone inside a vehicle, according to the criminal complaint. Police looked at surveillance footage and saw Smith had arrived close to 1 p.m. Police arrived around 2:45 p.m.

Casino security had already broken the window to remove the four-month-old boy from the truck. The temperature outside was 62 degrees and the truck was parked in the sun on asphalt.

The boy was sweaty and lethargic and had vomit on him. He was taken to the hospital and medics determined he “did not suffer substantial bodily harm and was not injured as a result of being left alone,” according to the complaint.

Smith admitted to leaving the child alone and losing track of time, according to the complaint. Smith must also complete a gambling assessment and cannot gamble or go into any gambling establishments such as Mystic Lake Hotel Casino or Little Six Casino during her probation.

Smith must also complete 40 hours of community service as well as pay $600 in legal-related fees, according to the Scott County Attorney’s Office.