A Westlake mother has recently been convicted of endangering her children after leaving them to fly to Florida to allegedly support her friend who was getting liposuction surgery.
Dominique Knowles was sentenced to five years of probation, 360 days of house arrest, and mandatory counseling for leaving her three children home alone in February while she flew to Florida. Additionally, she was also fined $800 and will only be allowed to leave the house for work.
"I don't want to further victimize your daughters by separating you from them," Judge Joseph Burke said. "It is now time for you to become the mother that your daughters deserve, need, and require."
Knowles left her twin daughters, aged 7, and an older child, aged 10. It was noted that her twins have special needs. No further detail was shared.
How Were the Children Discovered?
Police were called to do a welfare check on Feb. 22 after one of the twins told a Westlake City Schools special education teacher that she was home alone with her siblings. The 7-year-old also told the teacher that their mother was in Texas and was arranging for their food to be delivered.
Authorities who went to the children's home said the apartment was "in shambles" with clothes, food, and trash all over the place. Officers also found an "unknown liquid" covering the floor.
Additionally, the officers said there was furniture stacked in a corner of the apartment and that the place itself had a stench of body odor and rotten food.
None of the three children had mobile phones. They told police they communicated with their mother through Nest cameras in the apartment.
Why Did Knowles Leave Her Children
Knowles was arrested upon her return. In a police interview, she claimed she had not left the state but later admitted to flying to Miami after cell phone records tracked her to the area.
When asked why she left her children, Knowles said she flew to Miami to support a friend set to undergo liposuction surgery, per WKYC, citing police records. She also said she believed her 10-year-old was already capable of providing care for her siblings.
