Mom, Teens Face Charges After Underage Drinking Party

A Buffalo Grove mom who was attending a party down the street was charged Saturday night with violating a local ordinance after police found four 14-year-olds drinking alcohol at her home in her absence.

Kristine M. Howard, 44, of the 500 block of Buffalo Grove Road, was charged under a social host responsibility ordinance that holds adults responsible for activity on their property regardless of whether they are home.

Cmdr. Steve Husak said the department received a call from a neighbor who was concerned that teens were drinking at the home at 9:45 p.m. Saturday. Officers apprehended the four minors, and while they were at the home, Howard returned, Husak said.

“She’s still responsible for the home, so that’s why she was charged,” Husak said.

The ordinance states, in part, that it is “unlawful for any person to permit, allow, host or fail to take reasonable steps to prevent an event or gathering at his or her place of residence or other private property, public place, any other premises under his or her control, or in any conveyance where illicit drugs or alcoholic beverages have been consumed by an underage person, if such person either knows or reasonably should know that an underage person has consumed any illicit drugs or alcoholic beverages.”

Two of the teens live in Buffalo Grove, while the others are from Arlington Heights and Wheeling. They were each charged with possession of consumption of alcohol by a minor.

Howard and the four teens were all given July 22 court dates at the Lake County Courthouse in Mundelein.