Mother left kids in car to order beer at bar

A Des Moines woman was arrested on child endangerment charges after leaving her three children in a car while she bought a drink at a bar.

Debbie Mama Koffa, 29, stopped at Donna’s Lounge, in the 4400 block of southeast 14th Street, around 1:30 a.m. Sunday and asked the bartender for a drink. Koffa didn’t have her ID and went outside to retrieve it, but told the bartender “her daughter would not give her ID to her,” according to a police report.

The bartender, finding that response strange, refused Koffa drinks. According to the report, the bartender could already tell Koffa was intoxicated by the way she spoke and walked.

Koffa’s boyfriend was at the bar and told the bartender Koffa had three unattended children in her car outside, so the bartender called police.

Police found Koffa sitting in her car, rummaging around for the keys. Two girls, ages 4 and 6, were sitting in the passenger seat under a blanket. A six-month old boy was sitting in a car seat behind the driver.

Koffa told officers she became lost coming home from a party. She wouldn’t tell police where she lived except to say, “the southside.” Koffa refused a preliminary breath test, but officers noticed she had bloodshot watery eyes, slurred speech, impaired balance and smelled strongly of alcohol.

Police placed Koffa under arrest who later admitted having two beers at a party and driving around with her children inside the car. She told police that she knew she shouldn’t be driving but the children’s father “had put her in this position.”

Bottles of bleach, antifreeze and two empty Coronas were on the floor of the vehicle, within reach of the children, the report noted.

The Iowa Department of Human Services took custody of the children after multiple attempts to contact the father were unsuccessful.

Koffa was booked into the Polk County Jail.