Police in Dixon, Illinois, received a bizarre call on Wednesday afternoon.
A concerned citizen called 911 after seeing a White Audi Q5 driving down IL Route 2, a four-lane highway outside the downtown area. A large blue inflatable pool was balanced on the roof of the vehicle. And inside the pool: two young children.
According to a press release from the Dixon Police Department, officers searched the area and eventually located the vehicle, which was still driving down the road. They conducted a traffic stop.
Police arrested 49-year-old Jennifer A. Janus Yeager at the scene. She was charged with two counts of Endangering the Health or Life of a Child and two counts of Reckless Conduct. She was also cited for failure to secure a passenger of the age of 8 and under the age of 16.
Authorities interviewed Yeager to ask her why she would allegedly do something so dangerous — and illegal.
”During the course of the investigation, it was learned that Yeager drove into town to inflate the pool at a friend’s house and had her two juvenile daughters ride inside of the empty pool to hold it down on their drive home,” the press release says.
Officers took photos of the vehicle as evidence and posted them on their Facebook page. The post soon went viral, being shared thousands of times and garnering more than 3,000 comments.
Officers took Yeager to the Dixon Police Department where she was processed and released after posting bond. She has not yet entered a plea, and it is unclear whether she has retained an attorney authorized to speak on her behalf.