A New Jersey mother is allegedly facing multiple serious charges after leaving her 14-month-old son inside a hot vehicle around 6:28 p.m. and not returning. She was later found at Parx Casino in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, gambling and socializing for hours while leaving her child unattended.
A complaint about an unattended child in a car was raised, and Bensalem Police officers were called to the casino parking lot just before 9 p.m. on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. When they arrived, the infant was locked inside the vehicle and appeared asleep.
According to The New York Post, when police arrived, they found the child sweating inside the locked car with the windows closed. Outside temperatures were in the mid-80s while the infant remained inside the vehicle.
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Authorities were able to rescue the child from the car. Bensalem EMS transported him to a nearby New Jersey hospital for evaluation. He was later released into his father’s care after notification.
The infant’s mother, 37-year-old Leola Dualuqua, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child and leaving a child unattended in a motor vehicle.
According to NBC Philadelphia, the mother was arraigned by District Justice Corryn Kronnagel and later transported to the Bucks County Correctional Facility. Authorities said she was subsequently released on bail.
According to Child Welfare Information Gateway, child abuse and neglect are legally distinct offenses, and legal rules and punishments vary by state.
Child abuse remains one of the most frequently reported crimes in the United States and globally. According to the National Children’s Alliance, about one in four girls and one in thirteen boys in the U.S. experience some form of abuse during childhood.
While the terms are often used interchangeably, there is a significant legal distinction between them.
Legally, child abuse or neglect occurs when a guardian or caregiver causes or allows intentional harm to a child under 18. This includes harm that could be fatal, or long-term harm that could affect the child’s daily life.
Other forms of child abuse could also be the use of excessive restraint under circumstances where the child is not posing a danger to themselves or others.
Meanwhile, child neglect occurs when a caregiver or parent fails to meet a child’s basic needs. These needs include adequate food, clothing, shelter, medical care, education, and a safe home.
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Other examples of child neglect also include continued improper placement of a child in an institution when it is known that such placement harms or may continue to harm the child’s mental or physical health, followed by not being able to provide financially for them.
Additionally, deliberately withholding information about necessary medical treatment may also constitute neglect. So does failing to provide basic care such as food, water, or medicine for a child with a life-threatening condition, when that care would likely help or cure them.
Last year in March, in a horrifying case of child abuse, Kimberly Cruz-Feliciano, a mother from New Jersey, was arrested after allegedly forcing her child to wear a dog shock collar that left prominent marks on the child’s neck.
According to the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office, the 30-year-old faces multiple charges. These include endangering the welfare of a child, two counts of second-degree aggravated assault, witness tampering through threats of force, and hindering apprehension or prosecution.
The case came to light on March 17, 2025, when the child arrived at Cape May City Elementary School with evident marks on the neck. Cops later also reported that Kimberly threatened her child with further abuse if he told anyone about it.
A shock collar is usually used on dogs to deliver electric stimulation of up to 100 volts to discourage unwanted behavior. It was reportedly used in the incident.
According to reports by Fox News, the collar belonged to the family’s deceased pet, which was kept charged despite the dog not being there anymore.
A neighbor told People Magazine, “It’s just sad. I hate to hear something like that; I really do. And it’s right here in the neighborhood, and I did not know that.”
