North Carolina Mother Arrested After 3 Children Found Drunk Outside Home

North Carolina police on Monday responded to a call that three children were intoxicated after they had been left unattended by their mother, the Gaston Gazette reported. Neighbors claimed that the children's mother, Tyeisha Coneisha Streater, had left them alone for several hours, during which time they may have had access to alcohol.

Streater, 26, was arrested Monday night on charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and misdemeanor child abuse. Police were called to Streater’s apartment in Gastonia, North Carolina, after claims that her three children were outside behaving erratically and dangerously.

The three children — ages 7, 5 and 4 — drew concern when the oldest, a girl, reportedly “simulated a sex act” on one of the other children and defecated outside the apartment. District attorney Megan Rhoden said the oldest child caused havoc at a laundromat after consuming the alcohol, per the Gazette’s report.

Police reportedly discovered empty bottles of vodka at Streater's apartment. The children were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment before being handed off to Streater’s grandmother.

Streater claimed she had been away from home with a fourth child, an 8-month-old, to do laundry at a nearby laundromat. She said the kids were asleep when she left and that those vodka bottles only had water in them.

She also told police that she was only gone for 90 minutes. That directly contradicted what neighbors said, which was that Streater had left the kids alone for at least seven hours. Streater acknowledged that it was wrong for her to leave them alone.

Streater requested that her $25,000 bond be lowered so she could get back to work sooner, but the judge denied it.

Alcohol overconsumption is obviously unhealthy at any age, but the risk is much higher for children, according to the National Capital Poison Center. Even small amounts can be poisonous to children depending on their age and weight.