A Houston man faces felony charges after allegedly abandoning his four-year-old daughter in a parked car for over four hours while he gambled at Sam Houston Race Park.

Daniel Ruiz, 59, was charged with child abandonment with intent to return after deputies from Harris County Constable Mark Herman's office discovered the unattended child in a vehicle with its engine turned off.

Upon questioning, Ruiz admitted to gambling inside the race track while leaving his daughter alone. He was arrested and booked at Harris County Jail with bail set at $5,000. If convicted, he could face up to two years in prison.

The four-year-old girl was safely transferred to another adult guardian under the supervision of Texas Child Protective Services. She appeared unharmed, with outdoor temperatures ranging between 55 and 63 degrees that day in Houston.

Sam Houston Race Park, owned by Penn Entertainment and located 15 miles northwest of downtown Houston, offers both live Thoroughbred and American Quarter Horse racing, as well as simulcast racing throughout the year.

The incident follows a similar case at Pennsylvania's Parx Casino, where two adults were arrested for leaving a six-year-old girl alone in a cold vehicle for 45 minutes while they gambled inside.

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