A Texas woman was arrested last week for bringing alcohol-laced treats to a Christmas party at an elementary school.
Teresa Bernal, 33, is accused of bringing vodka Jell-O shots to her daughter’s fifth-grade classroom in Tyler on December 20, 2024. According to KYTX, fifteen students consumed the shots and nearly all of them complained of stomachaches or headaches afterward.
The school nurse assessed students who had the shots. Teachers who tried the shots believed they contained alcohol, according to KYTX.
One student claimed to have vomited twice after ingesting the shots, while another boy stated that he passed out after consuming six of them. A concerned parent mentioned that her son was acting strangely when she picked him up from school, only to find him unconscious on the floor at home, as reported by KLTV.
Authorities reported that Bernal confessed to finding the Jell-O tasted unusual but was oblivious to its alcoholic content. Police visited the home business that sold the shots to Bernal and confirmed that the purchased shots were advertised as containing Smirnoff, a brand of vodka.
Police concluded there was no way Bernal overlooked that the shots had vodka in them. KDFW reported that a lab report completed on March 6 confirmed the shots contained alcohol.
Bernal was charged with injury to a child. She was released from custody after posting a $75,000 bond.
[Feature Photo: Smith County jail]
