Quints' Mom Accused of Leaving Them Alone

[kskiska]

WARRENTON, Mo. -- The mother of 2-year-old quintuplets faces criminal charges after being accused of leaving four of them and their 3-year-old brother home alone while she took a fifth quint to a doctor's appointment.

Christine Moungowoolford, 30, of Warren County, was charged last week with five counts of endangering the welfare of a child. The children were left alone for about an hour and 20 minutes, authorities said.

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The quintuplets -- girls Maryelysee, Natalie, Sidney and Jacquelynn, and their brother Joshua -- were born nearly nine weeks premature. Prosecutors said they delayed filing charges while they investigated, and also took into account the family's tough financial situation.

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The newspaper said that in an August 2003 feature story, Christine Moungowoolford and her husband, Valmore, said they were struggling with medical expenses and other costs related to the quints. The husband, a truck driver, was often out of town for days at a time.

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