Carol Stream man left 5 kids in car at casino, police say

A suburban man is facing charges nearly a year after authorities say he left five children, including two toddlers, in a car by themselves at Rivers Casino in Des Plaines, police announced.

Dionte Graham, 29, of the 600 block of Amber Lane in Carol Stream, is charged with endangering the life or health of a child.

Graham left the kids — ages 1, 3, 5, 7 and 10 — in a vehicle in the casino’s parking garage in April 2023, according to police. Security video indicated Graham was at the casino for nearly an hour, police said.

Shortly after one of the kids made a call on a cellphone, Graham showed up at the car and said it was his, police said. Graham gave a security guard a fake ID and then drove off before police arrived at the casino, according to a news release.

Police determine Graham owned the car and eventually reached him by phone, and he confirmed he was at the casino and left the kids alone, the release said. He never came into the police station to be interviewed, however, and a warrant eventually was issued for his arrest.

Graham was arrested Monday night after police spotted him in Chicago. He subsequently appeared in Cook County court for a detention hearing, police said.