Tuesday, July 12, 2005

Springs cops cite mom for 5 kids found drunk

Colorado Springs police officers found five children ages 9 to 16 drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana at home with their mother and aunt Saturday night.

Felony delinquency charges were filed against the mother, Jerianne Garcia, 35, and her sister, Melissa Collins, 39.

All the children were drunk and vomiting when officers Jennifer Lewis and Charles Szatkowski discovered them at 11:45 p.m., police said.

The 9-year-old had a blood-alcohol level of 0.16, police said, well above the 0.08 level at which Colorado drivers are considered intoxicated. The others had blood-alcohol levels between 0.10 and 0.15.

The 16-year-old was a veteran of a drug rehabilitation program, according to the police report.

"The 9-year-old could quote the percentage of alcohol in each drink, and had a cure for hangovers," the report noted.

Read the complete article at DenverPost.com