2 adults charged for supplying minors with booze

**NicoleWasHere** · March 31st, 2009, 05:01 PM

2 Adults Charged for Supplying Minors with Booze

Reported by: Mike Marusarz
Last Update: 4:58 pm

Karen Christine Downs was charged March 30, 2009 with first degree child endangerment for allegedly providing minors with alcohol at a birthday party.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Platte County Prosecutor Eric Zahnd charged two women with felony child endangerment for supplying minors with alcohol.

Zahnd says on Feb. 22, 2009, 43-year-old Karen Christine Downs and 25-year-old Kelsee Guest hosted a birthday party for Downs' 14-year-old daughter at 1615 NW 55th Terrace.

Prosecutors say by 2 a.m. 60 to 70 beer bottles were empty along with bottles of whiskey, bourbon and vodka.

Police say Downs' allegedly offered to pay one of the six teenagers who attended $10 for who could chug a glass of vodka the fastest.

Two girls, a 14 and a 13-year-old were taken to the hospital. The 14-year-old had a blood alcohol level of .218, which is twice the legal limit.

<---hawt

Kelsee Guest was charged March 30, 2009 with first degree child endangerment for allegedly providing minors with alcohol at a birthday party.

"We simply must do a better job as a community to keep children away from alcohol," said Zahnd.

Todd Campbell lives across the street from the house where police say party took place. He says he woke to sirens and police surrounding the house.

"A couple of parents drove up and it looked like a teenage girl left with her parent," he said.

Downs is being held in lieu of a $25,000 cash bond; Guest is being held in lieu of a $20,000 bond. They can face up to seven years in prison if convicted.

The Tri-County Mental Health Services is hosting a town hall meeting on underage drinking April 2, at the Platte County South Community Center YMCA located at 8875 Clark Ave, Parkville, MO 64152 from 3 to 5 p.m.

2 Adults Charged for Supplying Minors with Booze - NBC Action News KSHB-TV 41

**msdeb** · March 31st, 2009, 05:59 PM

damn, good going mom. epic fail.

**chartreuse** · March 31st, 2009, 06:04 PM

dummies. buying alcohol for minors scares the crap out of me. kids do stupid shit when drunk & who wants to be responsible for that.

i can see allowing your teen a tiny glass of wine on a special occasion & under your supervision, but allowing a bunch of kids to get shithoused under your watch is all kinds of stupid. this mom fails.