Teresa Bernal (Smith County Jail).
A mom allegedly brought alcohol-laced Jell-O shots to an elementary school Christmas Party this past December, according to cops in the Texas city of Tyler.
According to police documents obtained by Law&Crime, an officer described speaking to 15 students who drank the shots. Almost all described having stomach and headaches. One boy said he vomited twice that day. Another student said he “passed out.” A student, who spoke in a Jan. 13 follow-up interview, said he had six shots, got dizzy, fell, and felt like he could not stand back up.
Those allegations landed Teresa Isabel Bernal in the Smith County Jail on Monday for injury to a child resulting in reckless bodily injury.
She allegedly raised eyebrows but necessarily red flags when she showed up Dec. 20, 2024, with the shots. Bernal had a positive reputation before this alleged incident.
“During the interviews I was told, while some of the teachers found it odd that Bernal would bring Jell-O shots to an elementary school party, they were trusting Bernal to not bring anything harmful to the school party,” they wrote. “Bernal was an involved parent and was present at many functions at the school.”
Teachers began getting suspicious as kids started getting sick. Two adults who had the Jell-O shots told a third that they believed the drinks had alcohol in them, according to police documents.
Bernal allegedly told police she purchased the shots from a business she found on Facebook, which the authorities redacted.
“I asked Bernal if the Jell-O shots had alcohol in them and she said they do taste different,” authorities wrote. “Bernal said the Jello-O shots were meant for the 5th graders and she did not know the shots contained alcohol. Bernal also said she discovered the Jell-O shots contained alcohol after the children had consumed some of the shots.”
Cops did not buy that. The affiant said he tracked down where she purchased the shots. According to police, it was obvious the Jell-O shots contained Vodka.
“In looking at the photo of the Jell-O shots Bernal ordered, it clearly states the Jell-O shots contain Smirnoff,” police wrote.
“Tyler ISD is aware of the recent arrest of a parent in connection to an elementary holiday party last December,” the school district said in a statement. “At the time, a parent volunteer brought homemade Jello to the celebration, which was later found to contain alcohol. Unfortunately, some students consumed the Jello before the situation was discovered. Staff acted immediately to address the situation, informing parents and working with law enforcement. Since the incident, the parent has not been allowed back on campus and now faces legal consequences. We take this matter very seriously and remain committed to the safety and well-being of our students.”
Love true crime? Sign up for our newsletter, The Law&Crime Docket, to get the latest real-life crime stories delivered right to your inbox.
