Mother Abandons Toddlers for 9 Hours

(Kallispell, Montana) A 24-year-old local woman, Rachel (Rachael) O'Brien, was arrested for abandoning her two young children in squalid conditions for nearly nine hours.

The children, a 2-year-old and a 3-year-old, were home alone from 11AM on August 4th, when O'Brien went to work, until after 8PM even though she finished work at 4:30PM.

A concerned neighbor called police that evening after noticing the girls were home by themselves.

Officers found half-eaten food on the floor, a knife within the children's reach and a frying pan with rotting food on the counter.

The kitchen garbage was overflowing with dirty diapers.

O'Brien told police she didn't go home after work because she knew her children were going to be a mess and need baths.

O'Brien has been charged with two counts of felony endangerment.


[Update 10/26/07]

O'Brien sentenced.