Chicago woman charged after leaving children home alone, police say

CHICAGO - A 29-year-old Chicago woman is facing misdemeanor charges for allegedly leaving four young children home alone over the weekend.

On New Year's Eve, around 1:28 p.m., Chicago police officers in the 4800 block of W. Jackson Blvd. were waved down by an 11-year-old boy who told them he was home alone with other children.

Officers responded to the home and found a 1-year-old boy, a 7-year-old boy, and a 4-year-old girl. They took the children to West Suburban Hospital as a precaution after not being able to make contact with a guardian.

The offender – identified as Dominique Bishop-Smith – was eventually located and charged with four misdemeanor counts of Cause Child to be Endangered.

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services says they've had prior contact with the family involved and are currently in custody of the children.

No further information was provided.