Probation for Baton Rouge Woman in Casino Trip Child Death Case
Posted on: July 11, 2025, 07:52h.
Last updated on: July 11, 2025, 09:01h.
- Child died after being left unsupervised during casino trip
- Terica Scott was sentenced to probation for negligent homicide, court says
- Two boys face murder charges in toddler’s fatal beating
One of two Louisiana women arrested after leaving children home alone with tragic consequences while they went to a casino has been granted probation by a Baton Rouge judge. While the women gambled, two older boys attacked a three-year-old girl, Blessing Buckles. The toddler later died of her injuries.
Prosecutors originally charged Terica Denise Scott, 28, who was Buckles’ aunt, with manslaughter and second-degree cruelty to a juvenile. This week, she pleaded guilty to reduced charges of negligent homicide and cruelty to a juvenile, according to court records.
District Judge Colette Greggs sentenced Scott to five years, suspended, for the negligent homicide charge and 10 years, suspended, for the cruelty to juveniles charge. She will serve five years on probation. Scott is also required to pay a fine and attend parenting classes.
Dinesha Yates, Buckles’ mother, was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter and second-degree cruelty to a juvenile in April.
Boys Arrested
On Feb. 12, 2024, the pair left eight children ranging from 11 months to 12 years at Scott’s home in Baton Rouge for several hours while they went to a nearby casino, according to investigators.
One of the children called the sheriff’s office at around 3:45 pm about the injured girl and said she had stopped breathing. The two mothers were also alerted to the attack, and they returned home as deputies arrived.
Blessing was found unresponsive and rushed to the hospital, where she died two days later from blunt-force trauma and a fatal brain bleed.
Two boys aged 10 and 12, who are Scott’s son and nephew, were arrested and have been charged with murder. The status of that case isn’t immediately clear.
History of Violence
Yates and Scott admitted to investigators that they regularly left the kids home alone, despite one of the older boys having a history of violence against the younger ones. Yates reported seeing bruises on at least one of her daughters after the children had been left alone with the boy.
Court records show Scott has been arrested more than 30 times since 2014 on counts of theft, criminal trespass, drug possession, and arson.
In July 2021, a grand jury indicted her on a charge of second-degree murder in the shooting death of a woman named Dakayla Bailey, but she was never tried or convicted in that case.
Last Comments ( 3 )
I’m sure she’ll benefit from those parenting classes
She has been arrested more than 30 times since 2014, and still gets probation??? Whoever the DA and judges are that sentence her need to be investigated, this lady should not be allowed to roam freely.
Some people are too selfish or ignorant to have children. Stupid is as stupid does