A Texas mother is facing charges after allegedly bringing Jell-O shots laced with alcohol to an elementary school Christmas party in December, according to police in Tyler, Texas. Law enforcement documents reveal that an officer interviewed 15 students who consumed the shots, with most reporting symptoms of stomachaches and headaches. One student reported vomiting twice, while another claimed to have lost consciousness. A third student, in a follow-up interview on January 13, reported consuming six shots, experiencing dizziness, falling, and struggling to stand up.
The woman at the center of these allegations, Teresa Isabel Bernal, was arrested and booked into the Smith County Jail on Monday. She is facing charges of causing reckless bodily injury to a child. Prior to this incident, Bernal was known as an involved parent who frequently attended school functions.
According to the police documents, some teachers found it unusual that Bernal would bring Jell-O shots to a school party, but trusted her not to bring anything harmful. However, suspicions arose when children began to fall ill. Two adults who had also consumed the Jell-O shots confided in a third adult that they suspected the treats contained alcohol.
Bernal reportedly told police that she had purchased the Jell-O shots from a business she found on Facebook, the name of which was redacted in the documents. When asked if the shots contained alcohol, Bernal responded that they tasted different. She claimed the shots were intended for the 5th graders and that she was unaware they contained alcohol. She also stated that she only discovered the alcoholic content after the children had consumed some of the shots.
However, police were skeptical of Bernal’s claims. The officer who filed the report stated that he had traced the source of the Jell-O shots and found it evident that they contained vodka. A photo of the order clearly stated that the shots contained Smirnoff, according to the police.
The school district issued a statement acknowledging the arrest of a parent in connection with the incident at the December holiday party. The statement explained that a parent volunteer had brought homemade Jell-O to the celebration, which was later found to contain alcohol. The school staff acted immediately to address the situation, informing parents and cooperating with law enforcement. Since the incident, the parent has been banned from campus and now faces legal repercussions. The school district emphasized its commitment to the safety and well-being of its students.