A woman and her boyfriend in Twentynine Palms, California are being held on a $100,000 bail for allegedly punishing three young children by leaving them in the desert alone and without shoes or water.
A woman and her boyfriend in Twentynine Palms, California are being held on a $100,000 bail for allegedly punishing three young children by leaving them in the desert alone and without shoes or water.
Deputies with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department responded to a call concerning the situation at about 11:20 a.m. on Wednesday.
Upon arriving, they found the 7-year-old girl and two boys, ages 6 and 5.
Temperatures at the time were nearing the 100 degree Fahrenheit mark, notes KESQ.
According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, the children had no means of staying either cool or hydrated during the roughly 45 minutes they’d been out in the desert.
The mother, Mary Bell, and her boyfriend, Gary Cassle, were reportedly found in a vehicle parked down the road.
All three kids have been placed with Children and Family Services.
Why they were being punished remains unclear, notes the Desert Sun.