Apr 20, 2009 8:00 pm US/Eastern
Long Island Mom Accused Of Buying Booze For Minors
LAKE RONKONKOMA, N.Y. (CBS) ―
A Long Island mother stands accused of buying booze for underage kids. Evelyn Cruz's children, however, said there's no way it's true.
But that's not stopping the accusations from flying.
Police arrested the Lake Ronkonkoma mother at her home several hours after they said she supplied booze to a 13-year-old girl and 15-year-old boy -- friends of her teen daughters, who staunchly stand by their mother.
"My mom is our hero," Lurbin Cruz said. "My mom would do nothing wrong, nothing bad. My mom would never serve little kids drinks. No minors. She has five kids of her own. Why would she do that?"
But police said the teens assured the mother, 32-year-old Evelyn Cruz, they would babysit for her younger children if she would go out and buy them beer and malt liquor. The teens allegedly walked down this street -- Lake Terrace -- and drank near the shores of Lake Ronkonkoma. When the inebriated 13-year-old friend got home, her angry and worried mother drove her to the police precinct, where they performed a breath test and found she was intoxicated.
"You're accusing my mother of something she didn't do. She didn't do it. I don't care what they say, my mom didn't do it," said 15-year-old Jessica Cruz.
Police visited nearby Sachem High School and were asking anyone else in the community with knowledge of the incident to come forward as Mrs. Cruz pleaded not guilty. A judge Monday issued two orders of protection for her to stay away from the teen victims, and ordered her held on $10,000 bond.
"It's illegal for them to be drinking no matter who buys it," one resident said.
"It was completely irresponsible on the mom's behalf," added another.
"It's incredible for me to even think that an adult would buy liquor or give liquor to a 13- or 14-year-old," said another.
Earlier this month in Nassau County, an au pair was arrested for breaking the social host law. In that Roslyn Heights case police say a 14-year-old passed out and fell into unconsciousness on a driveway during an underage drinking party. He was hospitalized with alcohol poisoning.
The 13-year-old girl in this case is now recovering at home.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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