Missouri: Mother Charged With Abandoning Girl, 4, at Truck Stop; Vehicle Found at Oklahoma Casino

A Missouri mother is charged with abandoning her 4-year-old daughter at a truck stop in Neosho in the middle of the night. Police later tracked her vehicle to a casino in Oklahoma, according to local reports.

Kayla Marie Christensen, 34, of Anderson, Missouri, faces one count of first-degree child abandonment, a Class B felony, and two counts of first-degree child endangerment, Class D felonies, filed by the Newton County Prosecutor’s Office, KOAM reported. The allegations have not been proven in court.

Neosho police were called to the Love’s Travel Stop at 12009 E. Highway 86 early on Oct. 23, 2026, after employees found the girl alone with no parent or guardian, KOAM reported. Witnesses said the child had gotten out of a black Chevrolet Silverado before the vehicle drove off, and video backed up their account. Wyandotte Nation Police later located the vehicle at a casino in Oklahoma, according to the station.

Newstalk KZRG reported that investigators also allege Christensen left her two other children unattended while she gambled at a casino in Wyandotte. Neosho police thanked the Love’s employees for keeping the girl calm and safe until officers arrived, the station reported.

The probable cause statement filed in Newton County on Oct. 23, 2026, in case No. 26NW-CR01969, gives the officer’s account. Neosho police Officer Grady Aaron Cromer wrote that the events happened at about 2:55 a.m. He refers to the children only as JV1, JV2 and JV3. According to the statement, Christensen left “four-year-old JV1 with the purpose of wholly abandoning her under circumstances likely to result in serious physical injury or death, as evidenced by knowingly driving away, failing to return, and later denying that she had a daughter.”

The officer also wrote that Christensen drove the two other children, both boys, without proper car seats or seat belts and near suspected drug paraphernalia, and that she had a syringe intended for drug use. The statement says her conduct “created a substantial risk of injury not only to the children but also to other motorists and members of the public.” It does not mention a casino.

The charges the officer listed differ from what prosecutors filed. His statement lists second-degree child abandonment, three counts of child abuse or neglect, possession of drug paraphernalia and three counts of failing to properly restrain a child. KOAM listed the prosecutor’s charges as first-degree abandonment and two counts of first-degree endangerment. Law&Crime also reported a first-degree abandonment charge and said Christensen did not appear to be in custody as of Oct. 27, 2026.

Game Empress has reported on a similar case before: a Pennsylvania man who left a 5-year-old in a casino garage for 36 minutes while he played slots, according to state regulators.

Featured image: The Newton County Courthouse in Neosho, Missouri, in 2015. Photo: Kbh3rd / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)