ST. MARTINVILLE, La.(KLFY)- A Broussard woman is facing child desertion charges in St. Martin Parish after she allegedly left two young children in a running vehicle while she played video poker.
On Tuesday, March 19, 2019, at approximately 2:56 p.m., deputies with the St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to a report at a truck stop casino in the 1300 block of Evangeline Thruway in reference to two juveniles who were allegedly left inside a running vehicle.
“Upon arrival, deputies determined that the mother of the two small children (ages 1 and 5) had left them inside the vehicle for approximately an hour and a half after she entered the establishment to play video poker,” the department said.
Deputies removed the children from the vehicle and the mother, who was identified as Tara Jackson, 37, Broussard, was located inside the casino and was subsequently arrested and charged as follows:
LA. R.S. 14.93.2.1- Child Desertion-2 Counts
Following her arrest, she was booked into the St. Martin Parish Correctional Center on the above charges and the children were placed into the custody of a guardian.
