Dec. 13--CLOVER -- A Clover woman who went missing for several days last week has been accused of abandoning her four children, police say.
Jennifer Leigh Weaver, 31, has been charged with four counts of unlawful child neglect, according to police documents. Her bond has been set at $10,000.
After receiving a tip, Clover officers went to conduct a welfare check Friday at Willow Oak Circle Apartments and learned Weaver had not been seen since Thursday morning, according to Clover police reports. She had left her four children -- boys age 13, 4 and 5-months and a 12-year-old daughter -- alone overnight in the apartment, the reports state.
At first, the oldest boy said his mother was at work, but he could not give any more information about her job. Then the son admitted he hadn't seen Weaver since Thursday morning when the children left for school.
On Friday, the older children stayed home from school to take care of the baby, reports state. They did send their 4-year-old brother to pre-school on a bus.
Police notified the Department of Social Services to place the children in protective custody, but in the meantime their grandfather arrived and identified his step-daughter, Weaver, as their mom, reports state.
The grandfather told police that Weaver likely left because of a "substance abuse problem" and that she has done so in the past.
The oldest children's father, who lives in Georgia, was notified and said he would pick up his children soon, police said. The younger two boys' father lives in Mexico and is not involved, said Capt. David Dover.
While officers were still at the apartment, Weaver's sister from North Carolina arrived and said the children had lived with her for 10 years until this past August. They went back to live with Weaver only after the sister thought she was living better, the report states.
A state Law Enforcement Division background check on Weaver did not list any previous arrests in South Carolina. She has some misdemeanors in North Carolina, but not related to child-neglect, Dover said.
One of the charges was for breaking and entering in 2007, for which she was sentenced to 18 months probation, Dover said.
The sister, who is battling cancer, offered to take temporary custody of all four children. She said the oldest boy called her saying he didn't want the siblings to be split up, Dover said.
Police issued a missing person report on Weaver and checked hospitals and detention centers with no luck, reports state.
Two days later, Weaver's parents told police they talked to her on the phone that day and Weaver told them she was checking herself into a rehab facility for help, the report states.
Then on Monday, Weaver turned herself in to police.
Dover said he had spoken with Weaver on her decision to turn herself in and said she was very emotional and upset.
"She admitted her wrongdoings, but also admitted that her substance abuse problem had a hold of her, and she says that she's ready to get help for that problem," Dover said.
Weaver was very concerned with someday getting her children back, Dover said.
Weaver's family had no comment Tuesday.
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