Probation for Baton Rouge Woman in Casino Trip Child Death Case
- 11 Jul 2025
- Gambling News
A Baton Rouge judge has handed probation to one of two Louisiana women who were accused for tragically abandoning their children at home while they went to a casino. A three-year-old girl named Blessing Buckles was attacked by two bigger boys while the women gambled. Later, the toddler passed away from her wounds.
Terica Denise Scott, 28, Buckles' aunt, was initially charged by prosecutors with second-degree cruelty to a youngster and manslaughter. According to court documents, she entered a guilty plea this week to lesser charges of cruelty to a minor and negligent murder.
Scott was given a sentence of five years with a suspension for negligent homicide and ten years with a suspension for cruelty to adolescents by District Judge Colette Greggs. She will be on probation for five years. In addition, Scott must attend parenting programs and pay a fee.
Buckles' mother, Dinesha Yates, entered a guilty plea to manslaughter and second-degree cruelty to a youngster in April and was given a two-year prison sentence.
Arrested Boys
Investigators say that on February 12, 2024, the couple left eight children, ages 11 months to 12 years, at Scott's Baton Rouge house for a few hours while they went to a local casino.
About 3:45 p.m., one of the kids called the sheriff's office to report that the girl was hurt and had stopped breathing. When cops came, the two moms, who had already been informed of the attack, went back to their homes.
After being discovered unconscious and taken to the hospital, Blessing passed away two days later from a deadly brain bleed and blunt-force injuries.
Scott's son and nephew, two boys, ages ten and twelve, were taken into custody and charged with murder. It's unclear right now how that case is progressing.
Violence in the Past
Investigators learned that Yates and Scott frequently left the children home alone, even though one of the older boys had a violent past with the younger ones. After the kids were left alone with the boy, Yates claimed to have noticed injuries on at least one of her daughters.
According to court documents, Scott has been arrested over 30 times since 2014 on charges of narcotics possession, arson, theft, and criminal trespass.
Although a grand jury indicted her in July 2021 on a charge of second-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of Dakayla Bailey, she was never put on trial or found guilty.
