On September 21, 2017, police in Johnston, Iowa, conducted a welfare check on the home of Erin Lee Macke. They’d received a tip that Erin’s four kids were left home alone… while she was in Germany!
The kids — a pair of 12-year-old twins, one 7-year-old girl, and one 6-year-old girl — said their mom had left for Germany the day before. She didn’t plan to come back until October 1.
It’s unclear why Erin traveled to Germany, or why she went solo, but photos posted to her Instagram while she was away showed her posing with a friend at the Walhalla Memorial in Bavaria, visiting the Regensburg Cathedral, eating bratwurst, and taking tours of the hop fields.
When police called Erin in Germany, she said her babysitters canceled last minute so she simply left the kids alone. Authorities confirmed she made no child-care arrangements for when she was overseas. Police Lt. Tyler Tompkins said he’d never seen or heard of a case like this before.
Police ordered Erin to fly home immediately, but she ended up cutting her trip short by only four days! She was then arrested and charged with four counts of child endangerment.
Her children have since been placed with extended family members.
Erin’s ex-husband, the father of the two youngest children, spoke with Inside Edition. “I am really angry, but I wish I could say I am surprised, but I am not,” he said. “In my eyes it was a clear, deliberate, intentional act.”
Thank God the police arrived when they did, and that these kids are safe. Please Liked Video this crazy story with your friends on Facebook!
