Westlake mother found guilty for leaving 3 kids under age 10 home alone while in Florida

A Westlake woman is set to be sentenced on Wednesday in Rocky River Municipal Court after a judge found her guilty of leaving three children at home while she took a trip to Florida. Court records show Dominique Knowles was found guilty on two misdemeanor counts of endangering children during a bench trial. She could face up to six months in jail and up to $1,000 in fines for each count. According to a police report, a Westlake City Schools special education teacher called officers on Feb. 22 after one of her students, a 7-year-old girl, said she was home alone with her twin sister and 10-year-old sister. She also told her teacher that their mother, Knowles, was in Texas and checking on them via video while arranging for food to be delivered. When police arrived at Knowles' Detroit Road apartment, they found the three children were indeed home alone. One of the officers observed that the apartment was "in shambles," noting that "there was clothing, food, trash, and an unknown liquid covering the floor." The officer also observed "furniture stacked up in a corner, storage boxes stacked in another corner, and the apartment itself smelled of old food and body odor." Annabelle Childers reports: https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/cri... -- At 3News, we’re not here to tell you the news, we’re here to share the stories that you say matter most to you. Share your ideas, thoughts, concerns and engage in conversations about the communities in which we all call home. Follow 3News on Social: Facebook:   /      Twitter:   / wkyc     Instagram:   /      Visit our site: https://www.wkyc.com/ And be sure to download our app here: https://wkyc.com/app