By Associated Press - Saturday, December 14, 2019

A Florida mom is behind bars after police say she left her three kids alone on a dilapidated bus overnight while she smoked marijuana on a boat.

Gulfport Police say an officer noticed a small bus parked in a city lot Saturday morning and found the three children, ages 3, 6, and 9-years-old, inside.

The children had no phone and no way to call for help. A bucket on the bus was being used as a toilet.



The children allegedly told police their mom left the night before to go out on a boat. Authorities say they canvassed dozens of boats in the area before finding Andrea Kerins. They said she had been smoking marijuana.

She was charged with three counts of felony child neglect. The children were taken by state welfare officials while the case is being investigated.

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