N.C. woman charged with neglect after children found alone

A North Carolina woman was jailed after Horry County police were called to Garden City Beach for a missing girl and found two children alone and their mother intoxicated at a beach access with the girl reported missing, according to authorities.

Shannon Christine Watts, 36, of Indian Trail, N.C., was charged with unlawful neglect of a child and booked into J. Reuben Long Detention Center at 9:40 p.m. Saturday, according to jail records. She was released at 5:14 p.m. Sunday on $5,000 bail.

Horry County police Lt. Raul Denis said officers were called at 6:45 p.m. Saturday to North Waccamaw Drive for a missing 5-year-old girl. The sibling of the girl, ages 8 and 12, were alone and unsupervised when they called to report their sister missing near Garden City Beach pier.

The children told police their mother “had a few drinks” before the mother and the girl were found at a beach access, Denis said. Officers noted Watts was intoxicated and not capable of caring for the children, which also included an 11-year-old.

The children were taken to their grandparent’s vacation home by police, who also notified officials with the S.C. Department of Social Services, according to the report.

This story was originally published April 13, 2015 at 3:35 PM with the headline "N.C. woman charged with neglect after children found alone."