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Child endangerment charges dropped against Maryland mom

Mother accused of leaving children home alone in Rehoboth
October 20, 2016

A Maryland woman arrested in Rehoboth Beach after she left her children alone to pick up food nearby is no longer facing charges.

Charges against Susan Terrillion, 55, were dropped after prosecutors determined that they could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Terrillion intentionally acted in a manner that would likely cause injury to her two children, ages 9 and 8. Terrillion was arrested on child endangerment charges in connection with an August incident, when a motorist reported Terrillion’s dogs had gotten loose on Country Club Drive. After helping the children get control of the dogs, the motorist found out they were home alone, police said. The children were left alone for about 45 minutes, police said.

Nicole Magnusson, spokeswoman for the Delaware Department of Justice, said there is no specific law in Delaware regarding what age a child can be left alone at home. In August, Rehoboth police said Terrillion left her children alone at their vacation home while she went to pick up food.

Magnusson said negligent parenting does not satisfy the requirements of the criminal statute regarding endangerment of a child. She said that in Terrillion’s home state of Maryland, children older than 8 are permitted to be left at home. In addition, Magnusson said, Terrillion had no criminal history.

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