PEORIA, Ariz — A Valley father has been taken into custody for allegedly leaving his young children home alone for hours while he visited a casino, court records show.
Craig Opdycke, 37, was arrested Wednesday after Peoria police found his twin toddlers unsupervised and displaying signs of neglect.
A resident called police after noticing the 2-year-olds wandering alone outside near an aggressive dog. The resident told police they guided the kids back to their home and noticed the garage door had been left open.
Police officers found no adults inside the residence, court records show.
About 30 minutes after police responded to the home, Opdycke arrived at the residence and told officers he had left to make a quick run to Taco Bell. He further disclosed that the children's mother had been at work.
The father later allegedly confessed to police that he had actually been gambling at a local casino. He claimed to have locked the twins inside their room before he left and didn't know how they managed to get outside.
Opdycke allegedly told officers he had been at the casino from noon until he first made contact with officers at his house at about 5 p.m..
Records show the gambling winnings slips found in the father's pockets confirmed he had been gambling during that time frame.
The suspect was booked into jail and is facing a charge of child abuse.
UP TO SPEED
What is the Valley?:
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.