Anchorage mother arrested after child injured during Las Vegas work trip

Irene Miller, 50, was booked into the Orange County jail on four counts of child neglect without great bodily harm. The arrest follows an incident in Kissimmee, Florida, where one of her children was hospitalized after being struck by a dumbbell while unsupervised at home.

On Oct. 21, a child in the household called 911 to report that a dumbbell had fallen on her 9-year-old brother's head. Osceola County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived at the residence and found four children, ages 14, 12, 11, and 9, without an adult present. Fire rescue personnel transported the injured 9-year-old to a hospital for treatment.

Deputies contacted Miller by phone while she was in Las Vegas. She stated she had been working there since Oct. 18 and scheduled to return on Oct. 23. Miller explained that a babysitter from Tampa arrived every morning to prepare the children for school and check on them after school, but the arrangement did not require the sitter to stay overnight.

The 9-year-old was discharged and returned home after being treated. Authorities contacted the children's father, who agreed to take the children to his house. Detectives met Miller at the airport when she landed from Las Vegas on Oct. 23.

Miller is currently held in the Orange County jail. The charges stem from the period when the four children were left home alone. The eldest child, 14, was in the home when the accident occurred.