Liberty Township, OH — Shaina Bell, a 24-year old single mother from Ohio who was arrested when police found her kids alone at a motel, is getting a lot of sympathy from the public. She has raised more than $150,000 on her GoFundMe page.
Police found a 10-year old girl and her 2-year old sister inside a motel around 6 p.m. after receiving a call, reportedly from the children’s father. The older child said her mother was at work and will be back by 10 p.m.
The officers then went to arrest Bell, who was found working at a pizza shop, even though she said she asked someone to check on the kids every hour.
Bell was charged with two counts of child endangerment and pleaded not guilty. Her children were put in their father’s custody. She spent a night in jail before she was released on bail. She is scheduled for another court hearing in April.
Meanwhile, Bell’s story has caught the public’s attention and she has received outpouring support from social media. A GoFundMe campaign was created by her mother, Danielle Hosey, to help raise funds for Bell and her children’s necessities and to secure permanent and safe housing. It has so far raised more than $140,000.
“A lot of people are saying hurtful things, but a lot of people are also being there for me and showing great support. I have over $100,000 in a GoFundMe account right now. I didn’t ask for that, but people gave it to me, and I’m just over appreciative to what’s going on,” Bell told WKBN.