SANDUSKY, Ohio (WKRC) – A man was arrested after allegedly leaving his three children alone to ride a roller coaster.
According to WJW, 36-year-old Anthony Gallina was taken into custody after authorities said he left his children alone to ride a roller coaster at Cedar Point.
The broadcaster reported that the incident occurred last Friday around 9 p.m.
A police report obtained by WJW states that a Cedar Point security guard saw a little girl, who police said was 2 years old, playing in the dirt next to the Magnum roller coaster. The girl, whose age remains unclear, led the 2-year-old girl back to the Corkscrew roller coaster, where another small child was found unattended in a cart, according to security guards.
According to WJW, the woman waited about 20 minutes before Gallina returned. After the confrontation, the suspect said he and his nine-year-old daughter were waiting in line to ride the Corkscrew, leaving his eight-year-old daughter to supervise the toddler and his four-year-old daughter.
In a conversation with police on the scene, Gallina said, according to the source, that he and his daughter had only stood in line for “a few minutes” and only returned later.
However, according to WJW, officers noted in their report that the ride was halted for at least 20 minutes while the suspect waited in line.
Gallina told authorities that he also rode the Gatekeeper roller coaster, but said he could see the other three children from the line. He further told officials that, according to the station, he rode three times in total, one of them twice, under the same circumstances.
According to WJW, Gallina is now facing child endangerment charges; the incident was reported to the Seneca County Department of Employment and Family Services.
