OKC Mother Jailed For Leaving Daughter At Homeless Shelter

A mother's plan to teach her daughter a lesson about misbehaving backfired, landing her behind bars.

Authorities said Tiara Marshall is facing a child endangerment charge after she left her 12-year-old daughter at a homeless shelter.

Marshall told police she'd had enough, catching her daughter stealing money, then being attacked the next morning. So she decided to teach the 12-year-old a lesson.

Marshall told police "she was at wits end on how to discipline [her child]."

After a weekend of misbehaving, the Oklahoma City mother dropped her daughter off at the City Rescue Mission, assuming she would go inside.

Police said the girl walked more than a mile to a friend's house.

“Obviously leaving a child out in inclement weather like this isn't a way to discipline a child, said Sgt. Jennifer Wardlow with the Oklahoma City Police Department.

On Tuesday, News 9 dropped by Marshall's home to talk with her, but no one answered.

Even if her daughter did go inside the shelter, all homeless shelters in the city have a strict policy to not allow unaccompanied minors inside.

“As a parent of two daughters, I can certainly understand how frustration levels can get pretty high. But to drop a 12-year-old off at a rescue mission in the middle of a snow storm -- that I can't understand,” said Dan Staughan, Executive Director of Homeless Alliance

Straughan said shelters are always willing to help you provide an eye-opening experience for your children to help them appreciate their life.

“If you want to teach kids a lesson about how tough homelessness is a lot of our shelters, including City Rescue Mission, would welcome you to come down with your children, take a tour and see what it's like,” he said.

Marshall admitted to police at the time of dropping off her daughter, she didn't realize the danger she was putting her in with the weather and unsafe surroundings.