A mother who had left her three children unattended at home for a time is facing charges after the authorities discovered the kids outdoors and allegedly very intoxicated.
On Monday, April 30, three young children from Gastonia, NC, were allegedly left at home alone while their mother went out. During their time without a responsible adult in charge, the juveniles reportedly discovered a bottle of Grey Goose vodka and decided to help themselves to the contents.
After allegedly consuming enough of the alcohol to result in what authorities reported as a “heavily intoxicated” state, the children left the home and wandered outside. While outdoors the eldest child, a 7-year-old girl, had defecated and then proceeded to pretend she was engaging in sexual behavior with one of her younger brothers. She additionally was said to have made an attempt to get into a laundry room and smashed the protective glass encasing a fire extinguisher in order to obtain the device.
A neighbor allegedly witnessed what he believed was troubling circumstances and tried to check on the children. He reportedly found that the young girl smelled very strongly of alcohol and he stated that he saw her and her younger brothers, ages 4 and 5, drinking from a vodka bottle while outside the house. Additionally, authorities reported that the young girl was walking into the middle of the street and trying to stop cars that were driving past.
When the police arrived around 8:30 p.m. they became alarmed by what they described as “erratic behavior” displayed by the children, and they discovered that their mother, 26-year-old Tyeisha Coneisha Streater, had allegedly left the house 7 hours prior. They also found empty bottles of Grey Goose vodka when they took a look around the home.
Police suspected that the children were intoxicated, and all three of them were transported to the local hospital for treatment.
Streater was arrested and charged with three counts each of misdemeanor child abuse, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. She has been in custody in lieu of a $25,000 bond, and the children have been placed with their grandmother for the time being.
When Streater appeared before a judge on Tuesday she denied the charges and explained that her children were asleep when she had left the house with her infant to do laundry. She stated that she had been gone for around 90 minutes, and not the 7 hours that she has been accused of. She further stated that the bottle of vodka that the children were allegedly drinking from contained water and not alcohol, and that they were not drunk.
Streater, who is employed at Wells Fargo Bank, appealed to the judge and asked for a lower bond amount so that she would be able to return to her job, but the judge denied her request.
If you or someone you love is suspected of child abuse, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.