|
Erin Lee Macke, 30, traveled from Johnston, Iowa, a suburb of
Des Moines, to Germany on Sept. 20 without arranging child care
for her children, two aged 12 and the others 6 and 7, Johnson
police said. The children also had access to a gun in the house.
"The police have seen times when people have left their children
to go somewhere, but to go to another country is completely
different," said Janet Wilwerding, a spokeswoman for the city of
22,000.
The news attracted headlines in England, where the Daily Mail
newspaper called Macke "America's worst mom," as well as
comments on Macke's Facebook page.
Police on Sept. 21 discovered the children at the house,
notified child protective services and then called Macke in
Germany, ordering her to return. She had planned to return on
Sunday.
Social media posts suggested it was a social trip, Johnson
Police Lieutenant Lynn Aswegan said.
Macke was arrested Thursday on four counts of child
endangerment, police said. She is also charged with one count of
making a firearm available to a person under age 21, because
there was an unsecured gun in the home the children knew about.
It could not immediately be determined if Macke had an attorney.
The children were placed in the custody of family members,
police said.
The children are from two biological fathers who do not live in
the home, Aswegan said. One of the fathers who lives in Texas
discovered they had been left alone and called police.
Iowa state law does not specify any age or time limit for
leaving children alone, but parents must provide for their
children's safety, said Amy McCoy, spokeswoman for the Iowa
Department of Human Services.
Police consulted with local prosecutors before filing charges
and considered the distance, duration of the absence and ages of
the children, Aswegan said.
"Had this been a situation where maybe Ms. Macke was leaving for
a couple hours to have dinner in town, that's one situation
where this might not have been a significant concern," he said.
Polk County Jail's website showed that Macke was being held on a
$9,000 bond for all counts.
(Reporting by Chris Kenning; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
[© 2017 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2017 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
|
