A 37-year-old mother from Palatka, Florida is facing serious criminal charges after authorities say she abandoned her teenage son and seven dogs in deplorable conditions to vacation in Las Vegas for nearly two weeks.

According to the sheriff’s office, the case began unfolding on Monday, August 4, when an out-of-state family member called authorities requesting a welfare check on a teenager living alone in Jessica Copeland’s Palatka home.

When deputies first arrived, they encountered an unidentified teen outside the residence, who told them he was “cleaning” before Copeland returned. The teen then came outside and assured officers that “everything was fine.”

With no immediate signs of distress, deputies left.

But later that same day, another family member reached out to the sheriff’s of

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