Anthony Gallina, a 36-year-old man from Kansas, Ohio, is facing a first-degree misdemeanor charge for endangering children, according to local authorities. The Sandusky Police Department alleges that Gallina failed to adequately supervise his children, potentially putting them at substantial risk of harm.
The incident took place at Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, where Gallina is accused of leaving three of his young daughters unattended while he rode a roller coaster. Authorities suggest that this may not have been an isolated occurrence.
The situation came to light on the evening of August 16, when a security guard at the amusement park, which is owned by Six Flags, alerted law enforcement about a child found alone. A woman had discovered a two-year-old girl playing in the dirt near the Magnum XL-200 roller coaster, according to an incident report.
The woman and the toddler then moved to the Corkscrew roller coaster, where they found another unattended child in a wagon. The woman waited nearly 20 minutes before Gallina, the children’s father, appeared.
Gallina reportedly admitted to police that he had left his eight-year-old daughter in charge of his four-year-old and two-year-old daughters while he rode the Corkscrew with his nine-year-old daughter. He claimed he was only away for a few minutes, but the ride was shut down for at least 20 minutes while he was in line.
Gallina also confessed to riding the Gatekeeper roller coaster with his eldest daughter immediately after arriving at the park around 1:30 p.m. that day. He claimed he could see his other three children while he was in line. Police say Gallina admitted to leaving his youngest children unattended more than once.
When asked how many rides he rode without the younger children, Gallina stated three, but one of the rides he rode twice. Police believe the four-year-old and two-year-old girls were left unattended multiple times throughout the day.
Despite the charges, Gallina was the only caregiver for the children. A judge was contacted immediately, and Gallina was released on his own recognizance with a summons. The incident was also reported to the Seneca County Department of Job and Family Services.
Gallina was arraigned on August 19 and pleaded not guilty to the charge. He is scheduled to appear in court again on September 18 for a hearing. Police have framed the incident as a learning experience for Gallina, who reportedly acknowledged his poor judgment.