Minn. caretaker drinks heavily while 2 kids swim

An Oakdale woman who allegedly drank heavily while she was supposed to be watching two swimming children has been issued two citations.

Police say the woman, 20, had a blood-alcohol content more than four times the legal driving limit.

Police were called Thursday afternoon to St. Paul's Lake Phalen. Officers found the woman unsteady on her feet.

A lifeguard told police he saw the woman drinking and became concerned for the kids' safety. Witnesses estimated the children were between 6 and 10.

A police spokesman tells the St. Paul Pioneer Press the woman was a friend of the childrens' mother.

The woman said she was getting ready to take the children home. The police report didn't mention a car.

Police cited her for drinking in public and underage consumption.

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Information from St. Paul Pioneer Press

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