An Ohio woman who was arrested for leaving two of her three children alone in a motel room while she went to work at a pizza shop has raised more than $113,000 thanks to a GoFundMe fundraiser set up by her mother. Shaina Bell, 24, was charged with child endangerment for leaving her 10-year-old and 2-year-old daughters in the room so she could complete her shift on February 11 and faces up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.
- Bell was simply trying to provide for her children. As evidenced by the fact that they were living in a motel, it’s clear Bell does not have a lot of money and was doing what she could to be able to feed and look after her children. According to WFMJ, Bell told officers during her arrest that she usually has someone look in on the kids every hour whenever she’s at work.
- She was due to be back by 10 p.m. However, it was just after 6 p.m. when a tip-off led to officers finding the two girls alone in the hotel room. They were safe and unharmed, but officers still went to Bell’s workplace to arrest her. Bell later pleaded not guilty to both counts of child endangerment.
- Bell’s mother created a GoFundMe page. On the fundraiser, Bell’s mother Danielle Hosey wrote that Bell is a single mother of three young children who “works hard and loves her family very much.” Hosey added that while Bell was release from prison the day after her arrest, she found herself in need of “immediate housing” for herself and the girls and added that all the money raised would go to creating a more stable life for Shaina, Faith, Jai’Sean and Jade.
- After raising more than $113,000 and counting, Housey is overwhelmed by the support for her daughter. “We understand that everyone has a story and we are grateful that you are listening to ours. From the bottom of our hearts we not only appreciate the financial contributions, but also the outpouring of support in the form of kind words and understanding,” she wrote.
You can donate to Shaina Bell and her children via GoFundMe HERE.
