Mother Who Left 4 Kids Home Alone While She Took European Vacation Gets Probation
A mother of four who left her children home alone while she jetted off to Germany has been sentenced to two years of probation, avoiding any prison time.
Erin Macke, 31, had been charged with four counts of child endangerment and could have faced up to two years behind bars on each count.
In February, she entered an Alford plea of guilty, meaning she acknowledged that prosecutors likely have enough evidence to secure a conviction at trial.
Macke spent a week in Europe, posting photos of herself by the Danube River and beaming in Bavaria.
She left behind 12-year-old twins and two daughters aged 6 and 7. Police found the children alone in their Iowa apartment. Officers also discovered a handgun in the home.
Her ex-husband, Matthew Macke, gave an impact statement in court, saying the mother has no remorse for what she did.
"Erin's decision to leave the children was intentional, done knowingly and she has not accepted any responsibility and continued to place blame on everyone else," Macke said in court.
The father told Inside Edition, "In my eyes, it was a clear, deliberate, intentional act. I'm very angry, but not surprised."
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