A Pennsylvania mother told police to “just take” her four children after they were discovered home alone, with no food or beds.
According to the Associated Press, authorities were called to 34-year-old Takoya Parker’s Park Hill home to perform a welfare check after receiving reports that her children had been left home alone.
Authorities say that when they walked inside, they were shocked to find the children—ages 10, 6, 5, and 3—home without any supervision whatsoever.
Police quickly learned that the children had been left in the dark with no food, beds, or working lights anywhere in the home.
Even worse, investigators say a large knife had been left in plain sight in the kitchen and a screw driver was found on the floor.
According to the criminal complaint, the children told authorities that they had not eaten recently.
By the time the responding officers finally did get a hold of Parker, she reportedly snapped that she couldn’t come home and told police to “just take them,” in reference to her own children.
Parker then agreed to leave her children in the care of a neighbor until child welfare workers arrived to take them into protective custody, according to the Associated Press.
Although it remains unclear whether or not Parker has been taken into custody yet, police say she is currently facing four counts of endangering the welfare of children.
