Police: Mom leaves her children, age 8 and 9, alone

A mother has been charged with a misdemeanor after she left her children, ages 8 and 9, at their Rehoboth Beach vacation rental while she ran to a restaurant approximately five miles away to pick up food, a police spokesman said.

Susan L. Terrillion, 55, of Olney, Maryland, was arrested and charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of her children on Tuesday, according to Rehoboth Beach Police Lt. Jaime B. Riddle.

Police responded to the 200 block of Country Club Drive around 7:30 p.m. for a report of two young children left alone at a residence.

A witness told police that he made contact with the children when their dogs ran into Country Club Drive in front of his vehicle, Riddle said. The witness stopped to help the children get control of the dogs and learned they were alone, Riddle said.

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Police learned that Terrillion allowed her 9-year-old boy and 8-year-old girl to stay at their vacation rental alone while she went to pick up food. She was gone for at least 45 minutes, Riddle said.

Terrillion was arrested, charged and released on $500 unsecured bail.

Neither the children nor the dogs were injured, police said.

Additional details were not immediately available.

Contact Jessica Masulli Reyes at 302-324-2777, jmreyes@delawareonline.com or Twitter @JessicaMasulli.