A 37-year-old Ohio mother is facing multiple criminal charges after authorities say she left her seven children unattended in a vehicle while she went inside an internet café to gamble.
According to police reports cited by Law & Crime, Raquel Roniquel Hicks was arrested after officers discovered that she had allegedly left the children—ranging in age from 11 months to 15 years—inside a parked car for approximately 40 minutes outside Luna’s Internet Café in Toledo.
Authorities allege that Hicks not only left the children unsupervised but also drove them to the location while her driver’s license was suspended. Officers further noted that the vehicle did not contain appropriate car seats for the younger children, raising additional safety concerns.
“She left them in the car for around 40 minutes,” police said in the complaint, stressing the potential risks posed by the situation, including exposure to harm and lack of proper supervision.
Hicks was subsequently charged with seven counts of child endangerment—one for each child. During a court appearance on Friday, she pleaded not guilty to all charges. The court released her on her own recognizance but ordered that she be placed under GPS monitoring pending further proceedings.
The case has sparked renewed discussion around child safety, parental responsibility, and the legal consequences of leaving minors unattended in vehicles.
Child welfare advocates warn that even short periods of unsupervised time can expose children to serious risks, including medical emergencies, abduction, or environmental dangers.
Legal experts note that child endangerment laws vary by state but generally impose strict penalties when caregivers are found to have knowingly placed children in potentially harmful situations. In Ohio, each count of child endangerment can carry significant legal consequences depending on the severity of the circumstances.
It remains unclear when Hicks is scheduled to return to court.
