(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A Portage, Ind. woman has been arrested and accused of leaving her three children alone, and authorities were reportedly tipped off when the oldest child asked around school for help in fixing a broken water pipe.
The charges are three counts of neglect of a dependent and one count of drug possession against 46-year-old Thanh Nguyen.
The three children -- ages 16, 11 and 10 -- reportedly told police they were left alone in the family's trailer for days at a time, with no working furnace.
Reports say the trailer home also had no running water, only a pot of water on the floor of the kitchen.
The Northwest Indiana Times reported that the plight of the three children came to light after the oldest child, a 16-year-old boy, went to school and asked for help fixing a broken water pipe.
Police said the 16-year-old didn't want to get his mother in trouble and only wanted tape to fix the pipe.