- Johnston, Iowa police say a local mother left her four kids, ages six to 12, home alone on September 20 while she traveled to Germany
- Police found out about the unsupervised children a day after Erin Lee Macke, 30, left the country
- She didn’t plan to return until October 1
- Police demanded she return immediately and she was taken into custody on Thursday
- Macke now faces four counts of child endangerment and one count of making a firearm available to a person under the age of 21
- While she is held in jail without bond, extended family members are taking care of her children
Erin Lee Macke, 30, was arrested on Thursday for leaving her four young children home alone while she flew to Germany for an 11-day trip
Four Iowa children found themselves in a real-life Home Alone scenario last week when their mother left them to their own devices to take an 11-day trip to Germany.
Police in Johnston, Iowa were called to Erin Lee Macke’s house on September 21 to conduct a welfare check and found her four young children – two who are 12 years old, the others six and seven – inside alone.
They learned that the day before, the 30-year-old mother had left her children at home alone to travel to Germany, and didn’t arrange for anyone to take care of them.
She didn’t plan to return until October 1, but as soon as police learned of the incident they contacted her in Germany and demanded she return to the U.S. immediately.
Macke was taken into custody on Thursday, exactly a week after police conducted the welfare check at her home.
She is now facing four counts of child endangerment and one count of making a firearm available to a person under the age of 21.
It’s unclear why Macke traveled to Germany, but the end of September is a popular time to visit the European country since it’s when the annual Oktoberfest festival takes place in Munich. This year’s Oktoberfest, a two-week beer festival, began September 16 and ends October 3.
Iowa Department of Human Services took custody of her children, and they have since been placed with extended family members.
Macke is being held without bond at the Polk County Jail.