VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) - A Virginia woman who left her two children alone while getting into a drunken fight at a beach party pleaded guilty Tuesday to misdemeanor charges.
Shelby Oliver, 28, pleaded guilty to contributing to the delinquency of a minor and public intoxication and was sentenced to two months in jail, news outlets reported.
Last Memorial Day Weekend, Oliver was attending the Floatopia beach party with her then 7-year-old child and 11-month-old baby. Charging documents said Oliver became intoxicated and got into a fight. She told authorities she didn’t know where her children were, documents said.
When the children were found, they were both overheated and dehydrated, charging document said.
Oliver was originally charged with two felony counts of child abuse but prosecutors said the children’s injuries weren’t severe enough to meet felony standards. Defense attorney Robert Morecock said Oliver was suffering from a severe case of postpartum depression at the time of the incident.
The prosecution and defense said Oliver has made “positive changes” in her life since the incident.
Oliver will be allowed to serve her sentence on weekends, starting Friday. She also has to comply with Child Protective Services requirements and pay a $25 fee, along with all court costs.
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