A Houston father faces felony charges after allegedly abandoning his four-year-old daughter in a parked car for over four hours while he gambled at Sam Houston Race Park.

Daniel Ruiz, 59, was charged with child abandonment with intent to return after deputies from Harris County Constable Mark Herman's office discovered the unsupervised child in a vehicle with its engine turned off. When questioned at the scene, Ruiz admitted he had been gambling inside the race track facility.

The authorities were alerted about the unattended child and found her in the parking area. Ruiz returned to the vehicle while deputies were present. He was subsequently arrested and booked at Harris County Jail with bail set at $5,000. If convicted, he could face up to two years in prison.

Texas Child Protective Services was notified, and the child was released to another adult guardian at the scene. The girl appeared unharmed, with outdoor temperatures ranging between 55 and 63 degrees that day in Houston.

Sam Houston Race Park, owned by Penn Entertainment and located 15 miles northwest of downtown Houston, offers both live Thoroughbred and American Quarter Horse racing, as well as simulcast racing throughout the year.

In a similar recent incident, two adults were arrested at Pennsylvania's Parx Casino for leaving their six-year-old daughter alone in a cold vehicle for approximately 45 minutes while they were inside the gaming establishment.

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