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PEORIA, Ariz. - An Arizona man is accused of child abuse, according to court documents, after the man's twin children were allegedly left behind in their home for hours.
Here are the details on what happened that led to the man's arrest.
Who's the suspect?
Court documents identified the suspect as 37-year-old Craig Thomas Opdycke.
What is he accused of doing?
Investigators allege that on Sept. 13, Opdycke left his home to go to the casino and play slots for almost five hours.
According to court documents, officers with the Peoria Police Department responded to Opdycke's home after a concerned citizen called 911 and reported that the twins, who are two years old, were running outside the home with an aggressive dog. The home's location was redacted from court documents.
"When officers contacted the citizen, he estimated that he saw the kids outside for approximately 20 minutes prior to him calling 911 for assistance," read a portion of the court documents. "The citizen stated that he saw the kids running near the street, and were nearly to the end of the street before he brought them back to the home."
The home where the twins lived, according to court documents, had an open garage door at the time officers arrived. The twins were found with dirt marks on their face, feet, and clothing, and investigators state the twins smelled as if they soiled their diapers.
Officers later conducted a welfare check after announcing their presence, and received no response from inside the home. No one was found inside the home.
Opdycke, according to court documents, returned to the home about 35 minutes after officers arrived at the scene.
What did the suspect tell officers?
Court documents state that initially, Opdycke said he was at a fast food restaurant about a mile away from his home for about 30 minutes to eat, and that he left the kids as they were sleeping, and locked their bedroom door before he left.
"[Opdycke] stated numerous times that he messed up, and this was his ‘bad’ for leaving the kids this long," read a portion of the court documents.
Later on, however, after the twins' mother arrived at the scene to pick them up, court documents state that Opdycle requested to speak with officers away from his wife and kids.
"At this time, [Opdycke] confessed that he did not go to [the fast food restaurant], and that he went to the casino," read a portion of the court documents. "[Opdycke] stated he left the house at approximately [12:00 noon], and was gone the entire time. [Opdycke] stated he has a gambling addiction, and knew he should have not left the kids home alone."
Officers also found tax documents related to gambling winnings in Opdycke's pocket, according to court documents.
What is the suspect accused of?
Opdycke, according to court documents, is accused of a count of felony child abuse.
A judge, court documents state, has ordered Opdycke released on his own recognizance. However, the judge also ordered that Opdycke is subject to supervision restrictions and conditions of the Maricopa County Adult Probation Department.
According to Cornell Law School's Legal Information Institute, release on one's own recognizance, also known as ‘R.O.R.,' is a decision by a court to allow a person charged with a crime to remain at liberty, pending trial, without having to post bail.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Opdycke on Oct. 2.