Shannon Hawley was arrested Saturday night by Conway police.
/ Courtesy: Conway PD
CONWAY -- Conway police charged Shannon Hawley, 29, of Conway with two counts of Cruelty to Children and one counts of Driving with an Unlawful Alcohol Concentration.
Police say Hawley left her 11-year-old and 7-year-old daughters home alone Saturday night.
The father of one of the children called police. After officers arrived at the home on Burroughs Street and found the two children, Hawley returned home.
Officers say she had a strong odor of alcohol coming from her breath and they performed field sobriety tests on Hawley, which, they say, she failed.
Police say Hawley told them the 11-year-old was babysitting the 7-year-old.
There are no laws in South Carolina designating at what age you can leave a child alone, according to the Department of Social Services.
The 11-year-old was released to her father and the 7-year-old was released to Hawley's grandmother.
We asked Trooper Sonny Collins, SC Highway Patrol, about the difference between a charge of Driving Under the Influence and Driving with and Unlawful Alcohol Concentration. Collins said with a DUAC charge, the officer doesn't need to prove bad driving in court (ie: someone swerving on the road). However, Collins said, DUAC and DUI carry the same penalties in South Carolina.
Hawley appeared before Judge Andy Hendrick on Sunday and received a $425 personal recognizance bond on each Cruelty to Children charge and a $1,027 personal recognizance bond on the DUAC charge.
Allegations of alcohol use aside, how young is too young to leave kids home alone? Leave your answer below.
