Broward couple charged after leaving stepchildren in hot Jeep at Hollywood casino

Terrence Wright and Lillian Munn appeared before a judge on Monday for their first court date following accusations that they left three stepchildren unattended in a Jeep at the Seminole Classic Casino in Hollywood. Munn was held without bond due to her current probation status, while the court set Wright's bond at $22,500.

The incident occurred at the casino located on State Road 7 just south of Griffin Road. Police report that security personnel discovered the three children inside the vehicle with the windows up. The outside temperature was 76 degrees at the time, and officers noted heat emitting from the interior. The children were conscious and sweating, with visible beads of sweat on their faces.

According to arrest affidavits, the children had no access to food, water, or a telephone while inside the parked car. The youngest child was one year old. Medical evaluations following their rescue determined that none of the three children suffered harm. Wright and Munn are both charged with child neglect without great bodily harm and leaving children unattended in a motor vehicle.

Munn told police that the Jeep's engine had turned off, prompting her to enter the casino to locate Wright and retrieve the keys. However, the affidavits state that surveillance video captured the pair inside the casino gambling. The report describes the couple as a family unit of three years, noting that Wright served as a father figure to the children.

The couple's actions drew immediate attention from patrons inside the casino. Aniyah Griffin, a customer, questioned the decision to bring minors to a gambling floor. "Why would you bring a child to a casino? If you are bring children to a casino have a designated person to stay with a child," Griffin said. She noted that her own children would typically be in bed if she were visiting the venue.

Other visitors expressed similar shock at the circumstances. Mark Hawk stated that leaving a child in a car without food or water was not a practice he would expect from a parent. Jeffrey Smalls emphasized that he would not leave children in a vehicle even if the engine remained running. "As a parent that is not something I would do," Smalls said.

The case highlights the specific charges of child neglect and unattended children in a motor vehicle. The affidavits detail the physical conditions inside the Jeep, including the lack of climate control and the children's physical reaction to the heat. The couple's relationship history and their presence in the casino during the incident form the core of the police report.