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Couple Allegedly Leaves Kids In SoCal Desert Without Water As Punishment

KCBS_740 TWENTYNINE PALMS (KCBS) -- A mother and her boyfriend were in jail Thursday after leaving her children out in the hot Southern California desert as punishment.

The 7-year-old girl, and the 5 and 6-year-old boys live with the couple in their car, but the mother and boyfriend allegedly decided to punish the children by making them get out – with no food, water, or shoes as temperatures in Twentynine Pines reached into the 90's.

"The deputies determined that the children had been outside of the vehicle for about 45 minutes," San Bernardino County Sheriff's Spokesperson Cindy Bachman said.

Someone spotted the kids, and gave them food and water before police arrived to find the couple parked down the road.

"They really were not closely monitoring what the kids were doing," Bachman said.

The children were okay, but Mary Bell, and boyfriend Gary Cassle were arrested on suspicion of child abuse.

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