Newton Citizen

COVINGTON - Covington police arrested a woman after they found her three children, ages 5, 7 and 8, home alone at their Nixon Circle residence and were unable to contact the mother for about two hours, according to an incident report completed by Officer Stacy Cosby.

The report states that Cosby went to the residence Thursday about 12:30 p.m. with another officer to investigate a report made by a Ficquett Elementary School social worker that a child at the residence may have access to a firearm.

When officers knocked on the door, a child answered and the officers asked to speak to his mother. The child, who said he was 7, said his mother had gone to the rent office, according to the report. He said his sister and brother were 5 and 8 years old.

After waiting a while for the mother to return, the officers called the Housing Authority rent office and were told that the woman had been there, but had left. The Newton County Department of Family and Children Services was notified. They, in turn, called the children's grandfather, who came to be with the children.

The report states that all numbers known to contact the mother were called to no avail.

"After about two hours of trying to contact her, she arrived. Ms. Sina Rene Randall advised that she left her children home to go pay the rent, shop at Citi Trends, Kroger and McDonald's," the report said.

Randall, 40, of 6108 Nixon Circle was arrested and charged with three counts of reckless conduct and three counts of contributing to the deprivation of a minor.