Alicia Anne Henry, 26, was given a deferred sentence for three years of supervised probation on Thursday for Class C felony child neglect.

Henry left her three small children home alone at her northwest Minot address overnight while she was out stealing and her 5-year-old daughter went out alone in a blizzard on Oct. 12 and walked over a block looking for her parents. A neighbor found the child and contacted authorities. Police took the child home and discovered that Henry’s 2-year-old and baby had also been left alone in the residence and methamphetamine pipes had been left within reach of the children in the bathroom.

According to court documents, Henry had been working at a Cenex station the day before and stole a credit card from a co-worker’s purse that was located behind the counter. On the morning of Oct. 12, Henry stole a backpack that had been left in a shopping cart at Cashwise Foods. The backpack contained a store employee’s wallet with several credit cards, a driver’s license, and a Social Security card.

Henry’s 5-year-old daughter told police that her parents had gotten into an argument and broke their television and then they both left the residence. Alicia Henry used one of the stolen credit cards to buy a new 43-inch television at Walmart on the morning of Oct. 12. The television was in the back of her Dodge Caravan when she drove up to her residence, where police were taking care of the children she had left unattended.

Henry’s defense attorney, Kyle Craig, told Judge Gary Lee that the Ward County State’s Attorney’s office offered the plea deal because Henry has a minimal criminal record. Under sentencing guidelines approved by the North Dakota State Legislature in its last session, Henry’s offenses would qualify for “presumptive probation.”

Craig also told the judge that Henry has been complying with all of the conditions set by Ward County Social Services, such as seeking drug treatment.

Craig said the three children were placed in the custody of Ward County Social Services for a year at a juvenile court hearing that was held earlier on Thursday. Lee also ordered at the sentencing hearing that Henry have no contact with any of the children unless it is approved and supervised by Social Services.

Henry pleaded guilty on Thursday to one count of Class C felony child neglect, two counts of Class C felony theft of a credit card, and one Class A misdemeanor charge of possession of methamphetamine paraphernalia. The state agreed to dismiss two Class C felony child neglect charges, a Class C felony charge of conspiracy to commit unlawful entry into a motor vehicle, Class C felony conspiracy to commit unauthorized use of a credit card, and one Class C felony charge of unauthorized use of a credit card.

Judge Lee sentenced Henry to a deferred imposition of sentence for three years on the child neglect charge, along with three years of supervised probation, and ordered her to pay court costs. She also received a three-year deferred imposition of sentence and three years of probation, concurrent with the sentence on the child neglect charge, for each of the theft charges. She received a 360 day deferred imposition of sentence for two years of supervised probation for the Class A misdemeanor charge of possession of the meth pipes.

Henry will receive credit for the 20 days she served in the Ward County Jail.

A plea deal is also in the works for her husband, Christian Henry, 27, who was also charged in connection with the incident, his lawyer, Kalli Hoffmann, said on Thursday in court.