Woman charged with leaving three young children alone at home

Lexington County Sheriff's Department deputies arrested a 29-year-old West Columbia woman on charges that she left three young children, ages 2, 5 and 9, alone at home overnight between Friday, February 22 and Saturday, February 23 while the woman went on an alcohol drinking binge.

The woman is solely responsible for taking care of the children.

Lexington County Sheriff James R. Metts said Kristina Hope Wright, 29, of West Columbia, was being held on Sunday, February 24 at the Lexington County Detention Center on bail totaling $30,000 on three counts of unlawful conduct towards a child by a legal custodian.

Arrest warrants allege that Wright willfully and knowingly abandoned the three children, a 2-year-old girl, 5-year-old boy and 9-year-old boy, on Friday by leaving the children alone at their West Columbia home overnight, with no adult supervision and no provision for taking care of the children, Metts said.

http://www.thetandd.com/articles/200...5726063155.txt

I think we all can agree that what this woman done was wrong. However, let's say that she really did go get a birthday present for her son then came home. Is is right to leave a nine year old responsible for it's younger siblings, even if it's just while you go to a store? What is a good age to leave a child home alone? What is a good age to leave a child home alone and responsible for their younger siblings?