Texas Mom Arrested After Sending Jell-O Shots to School

During the holidays, it's not at all unusual to indulge in a Jell-O shot or two at a holiday party. It is, however, unusual for that holiday party to be a classroom full of fifth graders!

What started as a well-meaning gesture for a classroom holiday celebration took a shocking turn in a Tyler, Texas elementary school, when a mother was arrested after allegedly sending alcohol-laced Jell-O shots to her daughter's class. The incident, which occurred during a Christmas party, left parents stunned and authorities scrambling to investigate how the boozy treats ended up in the hands of young students.

The mother, Teresa Isabel Bernal, says that she actually purchased the gelatin treats through a shop run through a private home and claimed to a Tyler ISD police officer that she didn't know they actually contained alcohol! But things took a turn when two teachers tasted the Jell-O and suspected that they contained alcohol. But, by then, some of the students had already eaten some of them.

The kids who had already consumed them, were gathered and checked, but some of the effects of the shots had already set in. Some were reported to have had stomach aches, headaches, some threw up, and one student who ate six ended up passing out.  If Jell-O shots can severely affect adults, can you imagine a fifth grader?

As for the private shop that Bernal got the treats from? In a interview with officers, the owners say they thought she ordered regular Jell-O shots with alcohol and weren't aware that they were meant for an elementary school!

The mother, who reportedly mistook the boozy Jello shots for harmless holiday treats, was charged reckless bodily injury to a child, with bond set at $75,000. She made bail and was released on the same day. You can find out more about the mix-up here.