KATV Channel 7 - The Spirit of Arkansas: NLR mother arrested after leaving young children home alone

A North Little Rock mother has been arrested and charged after leaving her 3 and 4-year-old boys at their apartment alone.

According to NLRPD officers, the manager of the apartment complex notified police after she found the children alone in the apartment while doing apartment inspections. The manager found the children around 10:15 am and had not been able to contact their mother.

DHS was called to the scene, and took custody of the children around 12:45 p.m.

NLRPD's report states that officers found the apartment "very dirty" and says that it "smelled strongly of marijuana." The reports also states that officers found "open aspirin and alcohol bottles on the coffee table."

The mother was later located at her apartment around 2 p.m., and told officers that she had left the children at home around 8 a.m. that morning. According to the mother she had gone to school and ran errands before returning home, and had no one to watch the children.

The mother was taken into custody and charged with endangering the welfare of a minor in the first degree.

According to the Child Maltreatment Act, a case worker will asses the situation and the child's maturity level - asking questions like do you know what to do during an emergency? Amy Webb with DHS tells Channel Seven, children under seven who are left home alone are automatically taken into state custody.