Woman Faces Neglect Charges After Children Left at Canton Rink

Canton Township Police responded at 12:55 a.m. on Nov. 11 to Trip Kings Poker Room, 8669 N. Lilley Road, for a report of three children that had walked from Skatin’ Station II, 8611 Ronda Drive, because their mother had failed to pick them up, according to a police report.

A 10-year-old boy told police he, his brother and a neighborhood friend had been dropped off at the rink by his aunt at about 7 p.m. for his birthday and was told his mother would pick him up with the rink closed, the report said.

The boy told police the rink had closed at 10 p.m. and no one was there to pick them up, the report said. He told police he, his brother and friend waited outside the rink for about three hours before they started to walk west on Joy Road until they found Trip Kings, which was open and allowed the boys to use their phone.

The boy told police he tried several different phone numbers to get in touch with his mother, but was unable to get in touch. He told police he also tried his grandmother, his aunt and his uncle, all with negative results, the report said.

The officer who arrived at the scene also wasn’t able to get in touch with any relatives of the boy, the report said, so the officer drove the group to the police station.

While en route to the station, the officer was able to reach the mother, who told the officer she was at home and didn’t know where her boys were located, the report said.

She told police she had been working in Saline until about 11 p.m. and immediately went to the skating rink to pick up the children, but nobody was around and she returned home, the report said, to wait to see if anyone called.

Police got in touch with the neighborhood girl’s mother, who told police she had been drinking and said her daughter was staying at the boys’ house that night. She sent her sister to pick up the young girl, the report said.

The boys’ grandmother initially arrived at the station to pick up the boys, but police told her the boys’ mother had to be present to pick them up, so the grandmother drove back to Ypsilanti to bring the mother to the station.

When the mother arrived, the police report indicated, her story appeared to change several times and police detected what smelled like alcohol. The woman told police she had a few drinks after work.

Police cited the boys’ mother on charges of child neglect. She has a Nov. 28 court date.

Police contacted Child Protective Services, and a worker told police both the boys’ mother and the girl’s mother had previous cases with the agency, including an open case involving the girl’s mother, the report said.

For questions about this crime report, email john.mckay@patch.com.