Smith County Jail - Texas
Mother Arrested After Giving Vodka Jell-O Shots to 5th Graders at School Holiday Party
A mother is behind bars after what was supposed to be a sweet holiday treat turned into a shocking and dangerous school incident. Teresa Bernal is facing a felony charge of injury to a child after allegedly distributing vodka-laced Jell-O shots to an entire fifth-grade classroom during a holiday party at Jones Elementary School.
According to court documents, the incident occurred on December 20, but Bernal wasn’t booked until April 21. By the time school staff realized something was off, most of the shots had already been eaten — some of them topped with whipped cream and strawberries, others designed to be more “festive.”
The students, aged around 10 and 11, began reporting stomachaches and headaches soon after. One child vomited twice, and another allegedly “passed out” at school. Staff quickly rushed the affected students to the school nurse, and an investigation began.
Bernal allegedly told the school’s peace officer, Darrin Grissom, that she didn’t know Jell-O shots contained alcohol — a claim that contradicts both the Facebook ad from which she ordered the shots and her own conversation with the seller on the day of the party. In that exchange, Bernal asked if they contained alcohol, after the children had already consumed them.
As of now, at least 15 students were identified as having eaten the spiked treats. The school district is urging parents to only send prepackaged, store-bought items to future classroom events.
Bernal is being held on $75,000 bail and has not yet retained a lawyer.
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