"Why is this such a big deal?" a mother asked La Center police while being arrested for allegedly leaving her 3-year-old son locked in her car for more than eight hours while she gambled in a casino, police say.

The 32-year-old woman, who lives in Clackamas, Ore., allegedly was intoxicated when confronted by police Tuesday afternoon.

She was still wondering why she was arrested as a Clark County sheriff's deputy drove her to the jail in Vancouver, said Sgt. Jerry Lester with the La Center Police Department.