Indian Trail woman charged with neglect after children found alone

An Indian Trail woman was arrested after police in Horry County, S.C., said they were called to Garden City Beach on a report of a missing girl and found two children alone and their mother intoxicated.

Shannon Christine Watts, 36, was charged with unlawful neglect of a child and was released on $5,000 bail.

Police were called Saturday evening to investigate a report of a missing 5-year-old, Horry County police Lt. Raul Denis said. The girl’s siblings, ages 8 and 12, were alone and unsupervised when they called to report their sister missing near Garden City Beach pier, Denis said.

Denis said the children told police their mother “had a few drinks” before the mother and the girl were found at a beach access. The children were taken to their grandparents’ vacation home by police, and the S.C. Department of Social Services was notified of the incident, according to a police report.

This story was originally published April 14, 2015 at 10:52 AM with the headline "Indian Trail woman charged with neglect after children found alone."