US home alone mother jailed

US home alone mother jailed

A California mother has pleaded guilty to leaving her seven-year-old daughter and four-year-old son home alone while she travelled on holiday for weeks at a time, both in the US and abroad.

Janet Hsueh Chen, 31, travelled as far as China and England while leaving the youngsters to fend for themselves, with just a supply of frozen microwave meals to eat.

Superior Court Judge Roger Robbins on Wednesday sentenced Chen to one year in jail, minus the two months she has already spent in prison since she was arrested. She was also put on probation for five years.

The two children are currently residing in protective custody - a decision on whether their mother should regain custody in the future will be made when she is released from jail.

Rubbish in refrigerator

On Chen's longest trip she left the children alone for three weeks while she travelled to North Carolina to visit a man she had met through the internet, officials said.

By way of entertainment the children had been left with one animated cartoon video to watch.

According to officials the pair had been ordered to not make any noise and to hide in the back bedroom if anyone approached the front door.

Chen also told the children to place their rubbish in the refrigerator to ensure that it did not attract insects.

Chen's trip to North Carolina had started on the 19 December 2002 and she was away until 7 January 2003.

However, on 6 January neighbours had tipped off the police that there was a problem after hearing children crying inside the apartment.

Chen was subsequently arrested on 8 January.

She was charged with eight counts child endangerment and had been facing a possible sentence of up to 15 years and five months behind bars.