Phoenix, Arizona - A mother from the state of Arizona in the United States has been arrested allegedly leaving his nine-year old son at a local McDonald’s for several hours just so that she can gamble at a casino.
Stacey Rupp, 34, eventually came back and when asked why she left her boy at McDonald’s, she casually answered that “he drives me crazy.”
According to the police report, the Rupp dropped the boy off at a McDonalds in Phoenix, Arizona, at around 8:30 in the evening. However, staff members of the fast food joint started to get worried when hours had passed and his mother had not claimed the boy.
Staff members called the police and expressed their concern over his “dirty and disheveled” appearance. While waiting for Rupp to return, the staff tried to help the boy, offering a coloring book, ice cream, and even cookies.
The boy didn’t seem at all bothered by his mother’s absence and later told police officials of the Peoria Police Department that “she always comes back.”
Rupp had apparently gone to Desert Diamond Casino, which is about a mile from the McDonald’s. It was already her second visit of the day. She arrived back at the fast food joint just as the police arrived and tried to play off that she was visiting a grocery store that is in the same shopping district as the restaurant.
When interrogated by the police officers, she admitted that she “messed up” and visited the Diamond Casino but expressed that the child “drives me crazy and steals my money.” She was then arrested and charged with endangering the health of a child and child abuse. The police report indicated that she has other children.
When the case was heard in court, Rupp was found to not have given his son with any form of communication, like a mobile phone, to contact her with in the event of an emergency.
While the judge was pondering a no-contact order, Rupp broke down and pleaded emotionally, “That’s going to be detrimental to my son, he’s a mama’s boy.” The judge later decided against it. The next hearing of the case is set for July.
According to a neighboring family who was asked about the family’s dilemma, the person who asked for anonymity said, “It doesn’t surprise me at all.” The person also reported that the nine-year old had also been seen running around in his underwear.
