A Texas mother is in trouble after reportedly serving Jell-O shots with vodka to fifth graders at a school holiday party.
Teresa Bernal has been charged with a felony for causing injury to a child after several students at Jones Elementary School in Tyler consumed the alcoholic treats on December 20. By the time school staff realized the shots contained vodka, nearly all of them had already been eaten.
In her interview with the school’s peace officer, Darrin Grissom, Bernal claimed she had no idea the Jell-O shots contained alcohol. She stated that she only found out on the day of the party.
Once teachers learned about the situation, they quickly sent the affected students to the school nurse. Grissom spoke to 15 of the kids, most of whom reported having stomach aches and headaches. Two students experienced more serious reactions: one said he vomited twice, while another student lost consciousness.
The affidavit also mentioned that some of the Jell-O shots were decorated with whipped cream and strawberries, proving to be tempting for the young students. Grissom later reached out to the store where Bernal bought the shots. According to an employee, Bernal did ask if the Jell-O shots contained alcohol on the day of the party, which was after the kids had already consumed them.
Additionally, it was noted that a Facebook ad where Bernal made her order clearly indicated that the shots were made with vodka. Grissom expressed in the affidavit that it seemed unlikely Bernal could have overlooked this detail.
Bernal was arrested on April 21, and her bail was set at $75,000. She has not yet attended a court hearing and currently does not have legal representation.
