TYLER, Texas — A Texas mother is facing criminal charges after allegedly bringing vodka-laced Jell-O shots to her child’s fifth-grade Christmas party at an elementary school in Tyler.
Teresa Isabel Bernal, 33, has been charged with injury to a child, following the December 20 incident at Jones Elementary School. According to a sworn affidavit, Bernal admitted to police that she purchased the Jell-O treats—topped with whipped cream and strawberries—from a vendor she found on Facebook and brought them to her daughter’s classroom celebration.
Initially placed on a table among other party snacks, the Jell-O shots were consumed by several students before two teachers sampled them roughly 20 minutes later and immediately reported they tasted of alcohol. By then, nearly all of the shots had already been eaten.
Fifteen students who consumed the treats were evaluated by the school nurse for symptoms including headaches and stomachaches. One student reportedly vomited twice at school, and another claimed to have briefly lost consciousness. A toxicology report completed on March 6 confirmed the presence of ethanol in the samples.
Bernal told authorities she was unaware the desserts contained alcohol until after children had begun consuming them. However, investigators noted that the packaging clearly labeled the product as containing Smirnoff vodka.
“In my opinion, there is no way Bernal could have missed the fact that the Jell-O shots she purchased and brought to her daughter’s fifth-grade Christmas party contained drinking alcohol,” the arrest affidavit states.
Bernal was arrested and booked into the Smith County Jail on April 21. Her bond was set at $75,000.