2 moms left 4 young kids alone in parking lot while they drank at bar, police say
Default Mono Sans Mono Serif Sans Serif Comic Fancy Small CapsDefault X-Small Small Medium Large X-Large XX-LargeDefault Outline Dark Outline Light Outline Dark Bold Outline Light Bold Shadow Dark Shadow Light Shadow Dark Bold Shadow Light BoldDefault Black Silver Gray White Maroon Red Purple Fuchsia Green Lime Olive Yellow Navy Blue Teal Aqua OrangeDefault 100% 75% 50% 25% 0%Default Black Silver Gray White Maroon Red Purple Fuchsia Green Lime Olive Yellow Navy Blue Teal Aqua OrangeDefault 100% 75% 50% 25% 0%Police said two moms went drinking at a bar and left their young kids alone in the parking lot. (Source: Glendale Police Department)
By David Baker and Emily Van de Riet
GLENDALE, Ariz. (KPHO/Gray News) – Two mothers in Arizona are facing multiple charges after police said they went drinking at a bar and left their young kids alone in the parking lot earlier this year.
Glendale police said the incident happened on March 8 in the Westgate Entertainment District. The department just released the bodycam footage on Thursday.
Several witnesses called police after they saw a small child running through the parking lot with no adult in sight around 11 p.m., police said.
The young child led officers to a vehicle where there were three more children, all alone.
Police said the older children were just 3 or 4 years old, and the younger two were in car seats.
In a bodycam video, one of the children is heard crying and an officer gives them a bottle.
Officers said they also found a large bag of marijuana in the glove box.
Police started searching nearby businesses to try and find the parents. About 30 minutes later, the children’s mothers showed up at the car.
When asked where they were, one of the moms claimed she was using a restroom.
The woman claimed she was gone for 10 minutes but police said the two were gone for at least 45 minutes.
The second mother claimed they were gone for 15 minutes.
“That’s a lie,” an officer replied. “We’ve been standing with these kids for over 45 minutes by themselves.”
Both later admitted to getting at least one drink at the bar.
Both moms were then put in handcuffs and arrested. Their names have not been released.
Glendale firefighters took the children to the hospital to be checked out.
“We’re thankful to the good Samaritans who stepped in and did the right thing. It’s a strong reminder: leaving kids alone – especially while under the influence – is not only irresponsible, it’s illegal,” police said in a statement.
Copyright 2025 KPHO via Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
Mother drove into crowded park, ran over 12-year-old because her kids were being bullied
A mother became enraged by reported bullying against her children, prompting her to drive her pickup truck through a crowded park and run over a child. (Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office)
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PEORIA, Ariz. (WKRC) – A mother became enraged by apparent bullying against her children, prompting her to drive her pickup truck through a crowded park, running over a 12-year-old girl in the process.
According to a press release from the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, 31-year-old Brandie Gotch arrived at Westgreen Park to find her children fighting with each other, with other children watching them and “egging them on and recording the altercation.”
“While walking [the kids] back to her truck, a boy on the playground called her a name,” the release said. “Gotch went over to him and started pulling him by his hair. A second boy called her a name, and she chased him around the park with a stick.”
After Gotch put her children in the truck, another boy stood behind her truck and started dancing and mocking her, but he eventually moved out of the way and joined his sister back in the park.
“At that point, Gotch backed out of the parking space, revved her engine and drove right at the boy and his sister,” the release said. “He was able to jump out of the way, but his sister’s leg was run over. Gotch kept driving through the park where more than a dozen other children were at the time, including some who had to run to get out of the truck’s path.”
Gotch reportedly left the scene with her children, who later told authorities they were bouncing around in the truck during the rampage, but was arrested a short time after.
According to an affidavit obtained by Law&Crime, Gotch told police that her kids had been bullied by some of the other children at the park, and that she had told school authorities about it but nothing had been done. She also said she believed her children were being bullied at the park.
MUM SHAME
Drunk mum who crashed car with her kids inside while THREE times limit walks free – as no one could look after children
Mum had been downing beer before heading to pub
Holly Christodoulou , Assistant Head of News (Courts)
A DRUNK mum who crashed her car with her children inside has walked free from court – as no one could look after the youngsters.
Lisa Swift, 37, was more than three times the alcohol limit when she got behind the wheel of her Nissan Juke.
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The mum was returning from the pub with her two kids – aged three and eight – and one of their friend when she crashed into a parked car.
Swift had been drinking cans of Budweiser until the early hours before ferrying the children to a rugby game.
She also had another pint of lager at the pub in Warrington, Cheshire, before the crash.
Tests showed she had 119 micrograms of alcohol in 100m millilitres of breath – the legal limit being 35mg.
Swift pleaded guilty to drink driving but was spared a jail term after claiming there was no else who could look after the children if she was locked up.
The mum was instead handed an eight-week sentence suspended for two years.
Angela Blackmore, prosecuting, said the crash took place on September 14.
She continued: “During an interview with police, the defendant said that between the afternoon on September 13 and the early hours of September 14, around 2-3am, she had been drinking cans of Budweiser.
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“She woke up at 8.30am and had a further two, then at 10.30am, she drove her son and her daughter to her son’s rugby game.
“Following that she took the two children and the son’s friend to a public house where she once had one or one and a half pints.
“They left around 1.30pm and when she was driving the vehicle she felt the car was giving. She tried to brake and slow down and it did not and she crashed.
“She said she was having a lot going on with her daughter.”
Peter Green, defending, said Swift has a “long-term alcohol dependency”.
He added: “This lady has never been in custody and she will struggle in a custodial situation.
“Most importantly there is not anyone else to look after the children. We do not want the children penalised unduly.
“That is perhaps the most important part of all, the prospect of an immediate custodial sentence and nobody to look after the children.”
As well as a suspended sentence, Swift was also ordered to complete 20 days of rehabilitation activity and a two-year alcohol treatment program.
She was further made to pay £239 in costs and a surcharge and was banned from driving for 28 months.
Sentencing, JP Ian Williams said: “This was a serious offence. There were three children in the car, two of your own and somebody else’s child.
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”You need to accept when a parent takes another child in the car they are responsible for the safety of those people and driving whilst under the influence of alcohol and having an accident with a very high reading is clearly serious.
“I would advise you to look back and reflect, think how you would feel if it was the other way around.”
