Man charged with child abuse after allegedly leaving children in car at MotorCity Casino

Montez Sistrunk charged with 2 counts of child abuse

DETROIT – A man accused of leaving his two young children locked up in his car while he gambled at the MotorCity Casino was charged Tuesday.

Montez Sistrunk was charged with two counts of child abuse and is being held in jail.

Two young children were rescued from the locked car at MotorCity Casino Monday morning.

The 2-year-old and 5-month-old were left in the car with locked doors and windows rolled up.

A casino employee noticed the children and forced entry into the car, taking the children to the security office. They were uninjured.

It's unclear how long the children had been in the car.

"An observant MotorCity Casino employee noticed the children alone inside the car in our covered parking structure and immediately reported it," the MotorCity Casino said in a statement. "We then promptly contacted DPD and took steps to extricate the children from the car and ensure their safety."

Security was able to locate Sistrunk on the floor of the casino. Police said security workers used surveillance cameras to retrace when the car pulled in and followed him from the parking lot inside.

Sistrunk was detained. Officers are investigating and Child Protective Services are involved.


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Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.