Mandaree, ND, Woman Accused of Leaving Daughter Alone in GF Hotel Room, Driving Wrong Way on I-29

A Mandaree, ND, woman is charged with child abuse and reckless endangerment after authorities say she left her 5-year-old daughter unattended at a Grand Forks hotel and drove the wrong way on Interstate 29 under the influence of prescription drugs.

Pauline Casarez was stopped at 12:30 a.m. Wednesday on I-29 under the influence of drugs and without a license or insurance, according to a criminal complaint.

Authorities say Casarez's daughter was alone at Canad Inns at the time of the incident. The child has since been placed in protective custody.

Casarez, in a separate case, is accused of repeatedly punching her 13-year-old daughter in the face. For that, she's charged with simple assault. The teenager told authorities that her mother punched her five times on April 16, resulting in a two-inch bruise and scratch marks.

Child neglect is a class B felony and carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in jail and a $10,000 fine.

Simple assault is a class B misdemeanor. Casarez could face a maximum penalty of 30 days in jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted.

Mandaree is a town about 70 miles north of Dickinson, on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 13.

Casarez was found guilty of simple assault in 2003 in Mountrail County.

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