Children wander in street, mother charged

CUMBERLAND COUNTY Sheriff's Detectives accused Ida Teresa Bennett of child neglect after she allegedly left her four small children at home alone while she visited a friend in the neighborhood.

The 25-year-old is charged with four counts of neglect after her children were found walking alone in the street on January 26.

The children, two girls and a 3-year-old boy and 2-year-old boy were not fully dressed or wearing shoes at the time they were found.

Less than one hour later, while deputies were trying to locate the children's parent, Bennett called deputies to report an attempted break in at her home.

When deputies arrived on the scene, with Bennett's children, they found her on the telephone talking with a friend about her children who were missing from the home.

Bennett told investigators that she screamed and ran out of the house during an attempted break in and left the children alone inside the residence.

Bennett was released from the Cumberland County Detention Center under an $8,000 unsecured bond. She is to make a first court appearance on April 21 at 2:30 p.m. in the Detention Center Courtroom.

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