Minot woman sentenced to deferment for child neglect | News, sports, jobs

A Minot woman charged with three counts of child neglect was granted a deferred sentence after she changed her guilty plea.

Mariah Peltier, 31, Minot, entered her plea Oct. 2 to three counts of child neglect, a Class C felony, and one count of driving under the influence, a Class A misdemeanor.

According to court documents, Peltier was charged in connection with an incident on July 30 when Minot police responded to a report from a southeast Minot store of a woman and her three minor children being shoplifted. Investigators obtained video footage from the store that shows Peltier and the teens removing items from the store without paying for the items. The young people were 11, 10 and 1 year old. According to court records, Peltier has not been charged with shoplifting.

A few hours later, officers went to Peltier’s home for a report of a deceased dog and observed a seven-month-old Great Pyrenees mix puppy left outside in 90-degree heat without food, water or shelter. Peltier was charged with animal neglect, but the charge was dismissed after she changed her plea in favor of the other charges.

Later that evening, officers returned to Peltier’s residence to issue a home/medical alert and discovered that Peltier was having a panic attack after learning of the dog’s death.

Peltier invited the officers to the apartment, who immediately smelled the smell of urine and discovered that the apartment was full of dirt and there was no working toilet or air conditioning. Officers found minimal food in the home. Social services were dispatched to the home and Peltier was taken into custody after the children’s father arrived at the home.

The charge of refusal stemmed from an incident the night of Aug. 28, when a Ward County deputy located a Chevy Cruze that had crashed in a ditch near Ward County Road 9 and Ward County Road 20. According to court documents, the deputy found Peltier and her three children exiting the vehicle. Peltier was arrested after the deputy conducted a series of field sobriety tests, including a breath test that revealed a BAC of .216. Peltier refused to consent to a chemical test and was taken to the Ward County Jail.

Peltier was initially charged with additional counts of disobeying a court order in that incident and a minor initial intoxication offense of driving under the influence (DUI) as she was ordered not to have contact with the children. Both charges were dismissed pursuant to a plea agreement.

Judge Todd Cresap ordered Peltier to serve a deferred sentence of five days in the Ward County Jail for child neglect and complete two years of supervised probation. Peltier was ordered to pay $525 in court fines and fees and not to own, own or care for a pet during her probation.

Cresap ordered Peltier to undergo a parenting capacity evaluation, cooperate with the Ward County Human Service Zone and follow all recommendations. Peltier was also ordered to have contact with her children only as permitted by the juvenile court.

Cresap sentenced Peltier to 360 days in prison for refusing the DUI test, with credit for the 38 days already served. Peltier was sentenced to two years of supervised probation, a chemical dependency evaluation and a victim impact panel. She was also ordered to pay $825 in court fines and fees.