A Texas mother has been arrested after allegedly bringing alcoholic Jell-O shots to her daughter's fifth-grade Christmas party, leading to multiple children falling ill.
The incident unfolded on December 20, 2024, during a holiday celebration at Jones Elementary in Tyler, Texas, as reported by KLTV.
School officials became suspicious after several students reported feeling sick shortly after consuming colorful Jell-O treats brought by a parent, a police affidavit obtained by the station stated. The treats appeared festive—with whipped cream and strawberries—but were later found to contain alcohol.
The parent, identified as 33-year-old Teresa Isabel Bernal, told police she had purchased the Jell-O from a home-run sweets shop, claiming she was unaware the treats were spiked. She said she only realized the Jell-O may have contained alcohol after students had already begun eating them.
School staff immediately gathered the affected children to be examined by nurses. Many reported headaches and stomach aches, with at least one child vomiting twice and another reportedly passing out after consuming six servings.
On January 13, the officer interviewed the owners of the sweets shop, who stated that Bernal had ordered alcoholic Jell-O shots and even requested additional festive decorations. They provided a screenshot of a text from Bernal on the day of the party asking if the treats contained alcohol.
When told they did, she allegedly replied with one word: "kids." On March 6, lab tests confirmed the presence of alcohol in the samples.
Bernal was booked into the Smith County Jail on Monday on charges of reckless bodily injury to a child. Her bond was set at $75,000, which she posted before being released the same day.
Originally published on Latin Times
