Father leaves children unattended to play video poker

CANTON - Cherokee County authorities charged an Acworth man with reckless conduct after he left two of his children unattended in a car to play video poker at a gas station. <br> <br> George Gingrich, 44, was charged Wednesday with five counts of reckless conduct and one count of child cruelty to the first degree, said Nicole Ebbeskotte, Cherokee County sheriff&#39;s spokeswoman. <br> <br> The children&#39;s mother, Rochelle Harmon, 30, was charged with three counts of reckless conduct. <br> <br> ``A concerned citizen saw two of the children, a 4-month-old and a 19-month-old, in the parking lot of a Coastal gas station on Bells Ferry Road and contacted us about 9 a.m.,&#39;&#39; Ebbeskotte said Thursday. Authorities said the temperature inside the car reached 87 degrees. <br> <br> Later, sheriff deputies went to the couple&#39;s home and found three more children alone inside. They were 3, 5 and 8. Two older children were at school. <br> <br> Harmon was released on bond late Wednesday. Gingrich remains in jail. He is held on $25,050 bond. <br> <br> All seven children were placed in protective custody.