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A six-year-old boy was caught drinking alcohol at a gas station in Butler County on Friday night under the not-so-watchful eye of his supposed mother. According to WLWT, the incident occurred twice in the same evening. Marathon employee Olivia Eversole saw the boy drinking beer in the parking lot outside of the gas station.
"And, he's drinking a beer in the parking lot. My coworker was like, 'Is he drinking a beer?' I turn and look and am like, 'Oh, he is,'" Eversole told WLWT.
The boy then proceeded to walk into the gas station and leave with a Smirnoff Ice and a snack while his mother sat in the car. After discovering the child with a second alcoholic beverage, Eversole asked him if he knew what he was drinking.
"I said, 'Do you know that you're drinking a beer?' and he said, 'Yup, this is me and my mommy's favorite beer. We drink it all the time,'" Eversole recalled. "Instantly I knew, give me my phone. I'm calling 911."
To keep the child occupied until authorities arrived, Eversole told him to shop around the gas station and she would buy him whatever he wanted. He came to the counter with candy and toothpaste and pointed out his favorite chewing tobacco stating, "That one's my favorite one. I haven't tried this one yet. My mommy hasn't let me try that one yet, but I like this one the best."
Following the incident, 26-year-old Victoria Hampton was arrested on charges of child endangerment and contribution to delinquency. She told police that it was an accident, despite the child being seen with a third alcoholic drink at the time of her arrest.