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Criminal complaint: Mom left son unattended in car at Rivers Casino

PITTSBURGH — A Tarentum woman is facing charges after police said she left her 9-year-old son alone in a car at the Rivers Casino Tuesday.

According to the criminal complaint, police were called to the sixth floor of the casino parking garage after someone reported seeing the child in the car.

The woman, identified as Valerie Eileen Snyder, told officers she got a $10 casino voucher from the Pirates game, which she had just attended with her son.

According to the complaint, she said she only had 24 hours to redeem it and she didn’t want to drive back to Pittsburgh.

She said she didn’t gamble while inside.

Channel 11's Brandon Hudson reported the boy is with his father.

“The police officer called and just said I needed to come down and get my son,” said Greg Criner.

Criner said his 9-year-old son his worried about his mother, who is Criner’s ex-wife.

“He’s shaken up,” Criner said. “He’s OK. He’s just scared for his mom.”

Snyder is facing charges of endangering the welfare of children and leaving a child in a vehicle unattended.

“She wouldn’t normally just do that. I think it was just poor judgment,” Criner said.

Criner said he hopes his son can see his mother soon because he’s so upset.

“He feels like it’s his fault. He said, ‘I kept the door locked.’ I said, ‘You should ask mommy not to leave you there,’” Criner said.

Snyder was released from jail with no bond, Hudson reported.

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