A Bismarck woman who has been convicted previously of child abuse and neglect was arrested Monday after officers found her and her infant sleeping in a car.

Stacey Hildebrand, 41, was charged Tuesday with possession of methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of a school, a Class B felony; possession of drug paraphernalia associated with methamphetamine, a Class C felony; child abuse or neglect, a Class C felony; and actual physical control of a motor vehicle with a minor present, a Class A misdemeanor.

Burleigh County Assistant State's Attorney Julie Lawyer said Hildebrand was released from prison on July 2. Hildebrand had been convicted in January 2005 of child abuse and neglect.

Hildebrand was sentenced to three years in prison with two years and 335 days suspended and credit for five days for that conviction. After serving the sentence in the Burleigh County Detention Center, Hildebrand was placed on supervised probation, according to court documents.

Her probation was revoked in August 2005, and she was in the custody of the department of corrections until July 2, according to court documents.

Hildebrand's sentence for her prior conviction for child abuse and neglect included a provision that she register as an offender against children, Lawyer said. She said Hildebrand has not yet done that. Hildebrand claimed she has registered three times, and it has gotten lost each time. Hildebrand is slated to appear in court on Oct. 10 on the charge of failing to register as an offender against children.

Hildebrand told South Central District Court Judge Donald Jorgensen on Tuesday at the Burleigh County Courthouse that she has custody of her four children along with her husband.

Jorgensen set bond for Hildebrand at $10,000 cash. He also said she will not be allowed custody of her children until Burleigh County Social Services says it is OK. He told her that he is not restricting her from seeing her children if she posts bond, but that she will not be able to be alone with them.

Lawyer had requested that Hildebrand's bond be set at $5,000 and she be allowed only supervised contact with her children. Lawyer said Hildebrand has a significant criminal history and has not shown up for court appearances in the past.

Bismarck Police Lt. Dan Donlin said police received a call about a woman and an infant sleeping in a car on the 500 block of East Avenue E at 10:21 a.m. Monday.

He said the officer asked to see Hildebrand's identification. When she pulled her ID out of her wallet, a piece of burnt tin foil with a white powder residue, which appeared to be methamphetamine, fell out, Donlin said.

Hildebrand said Tuesday at her court appearance that she is not a regular methamphetamine user. "My baby is beautiful,"she said. "I messed up. I'm going into a treatment facility."

Ex-Foster Parent wrote on September 27, 2006 6:50 PM:"To Foster Parent: You say there should be more foster parents. They should use there foster parents they license then. We quit fostering because they would never give us any foster kids because we both worked and they didn't want to pay for day care. So to hell with Social Services, they ahve there favorites, and they are usually one the ones who get what kids they want."

kellermen wrote on September 27, 2006 6:43 PM:"look at it this way at least the child was nice and safe in the back seat of the car in a child seat. so, you could say she's not completely brain dead. i hate it when i see kid bouncing around in the back of a SUV or mini-van. "get a clue soccer moms!""

foster parent wrote on September 27, 2006 2:31 PM:"I am a foster parent and if there were more foster parents, maybe some of these children would get take away from there parents, but it is not social services fault.. If there is a relative that is will to take the children, that is where they go, just like in this story. Mom can get them back at anytime.."

WAKE UP, so sad! wrote on September 27, 2006 1:37 PM:"EASE UP ON SEX OFFENDERS? did we learn nothing from the dru sjodin case? you must live in a dream world. why would we ease up on people with an incurable disease that completely destroys the lives of the victims and go after drug cases instead? i can't even believe you wrote that."

K wrote on September 27, 2006 1:23 PM:"I know I sound judgmental but this woman needs to grow up. If you choose drugs over you're own child, you're rights should be taken away forever! What happens though? Just a slap on the wrist and time after time the first offenders become repeat offenders. It is a sad thing that these poor children have such poor examples for parents. If the state has enough money to build a new bridge and bank, than a new larger prison should be right up there with the list of the priorities. Let's get these sick idiots off the street once and for all!"

get over it wrote on September 27, 2006 12:39 PM:"Could we please get back to the issue at hand and not discuss RACE. It does not matter what race the person is that did this people. It is harm to children in our community- that is what we should be caring about!!! That is our concern, not the color of your skin !!"

PEOPLE wrote on September 27, 2006 12:12 PM:"We are all part of the HUMAN RACE so regardless if she is caucasian, African American, Asian American, Native American - IT DOESNT MATTER. She is unfortunately a parent. One that obviously shouldnt be one. Let's just pray that the right thing is done."

so sad? wrote on September 27, 2006 11:37 AM:"Ease up on sex offenders? Where do you live? They have it pretty easy if you ask me. So haveing a bunch of rapists and molesters running around is better than someone on drugs? Pretty much think we would be better off w/o either. At least there has been proven cases of rehab for drug abuse. Kids should not have to worry about either issue. Nothing will change until we get a political leader not afraid to stir the pot."

reality check wrote on September 27, 2006 11:34 AM:"Neither Stacy or her husband (the children's father) are Native American. They are both white as rice and more importantly, child abusers. Dolly Dakota, get a grip."

Pitiful wrote on September 27, 2006 10:59 AM:"This just makes me sick!!! The whole issue here is the children. When is social services going to wake up?? I've watched what my ex-husband and his 1st wife do to their children and it made me furious!! I bought them what they needed, fed them (and they ate like starved animals most weekends), and splurged on them sometimes. Every child needs that. And yet social services called me in!! Then realized it wasn't me, but their mother neglecting them. Did anything else happen? Nope. And where was dad? Just trying to do what was necessary to keep the kids happy and wanting to visit him. Way to keep dropping the ball on the defenseless kids who didn't ask to be born into those situations. When will the State stop slapping these parents on the wrist and hoping these will 'just improve' on their own? "

BB wrote on September 27, 2006 10:53 AM:"To Holly Dolly as a Native American women i find your comment deplorable, why do you have to put the Native comment in there when it had nothing to do with the story you are trying to make a mountain out of mole hill here, needless to say i to cringe when something is written about Native American people because unfortunately it does come back on us as a people and it shouldnt be that way but do go giving people more ammo against us."

So sad wrote on September 27, 2006 10:38 AM:"How very sad that our society has come to this- is our state going to wake up and realize that we have a real drug issue? Maybe we need to ease up on attacking every sex offender that has served his time and SEEK out all the drug trafficers in this town!! You think the jail is full now...... if everyone helped out law enforcement and called in problems as you see them maybe we could rememdy alot of this ! A thank-you needs to go out to whomever made the phone call to police- you may have saved four children's lives !"

Maturity wrote on September 27, 2006 10:32 AM:"Get over yourself Holly Dolly. Maybe the only reason you are so hung up on the non-existent racial issue of this story is because you yourself are a hypocritical, racist. Racism goes both ways, but wait, your race is the only minority wlaking this earth."

Seriously!? wrote on September 27, 2006 10:31 AM:"The point of this story has nothing to do with her nationality, get over it!! No where in the article does it say anything about race. Someone made a comment about all races and suddenly everyone is more concerned about if she is or is not native....does it make a difference?! This is about abuse and how the state doesn't care. They have had chance after chance to save these kids. Get a clue Social Services!! "

sad wrote on September 27, 2006 10:22 AM:"Holly Dolly this situation has nothing to with being native or white or anything else. This is about a women who can't get her priorities straight. She has choices here. The only ones who don't have a choice to sleep in a car or not or to sleep with clothes or not is the child. This is sad. I don't feel sorry for this women, she HAS choices but she chooses to be selfish for whatever reason. Where are the other three kids and the husband? There's some very serious underlying issues here that we aren't aware of. The obvious issues we see is that this women shouldn't be allowed to have her children in her custody. These children did nothing to deserve this kind of parenting. "

Outraged! wrote on September 27, 2006 10:22 AM:"Not only am I angry about hearing of abused and neglected children...I'm also sick and tired of hearing about race. The ones who constently make race an issue will ALWAYS make race an issue. Get over yourselves....quit looking for excuses and issues to blame and try to focus for a second on what is really the point here. The system, the welfare of our children and the law. "

T roy rocks wrote on September 27, 2006 10:12 AM:"Love how our justice system works and follows up on crap.I hope her kids can overcome what she has done to them. I wish you had to pass a test to reproduce."

T Roy wrote on September 27, 2006 9:40 AM:"She should be sterilized, imprisoned, and never be allowed to see her kids again. She has proven beyond reasonable doubt she is unfit as a mother or a funtional member of society."

angry wrote on September 27, 2006 9:40 AM:"Where is the father of these kids in this whole situation? Where were her kids when she was in jail before? What does it take for Social Services to actually do their job? I am so angry that the State would allow this women to even be in the same room as her children. She was convicted of child abuse and neglect once already. I don't care if this women is white, black, or native she doesn't deserve the right to be called mother or mom. The State needs to get its priorities in order and start protecting these kids instead of their repeat offender parents. Get these children in a loving and safe environment away from their mother. "

and wrote on September 27, 2006 9:39 AM:"Children are being negleted and probably abused and some people care only about some imagined Native issue. How is that the problem in this case? Everything should not be turned into a race issue. This has nothing to do with any Native Americans. When the man in Valley City was arrested I didn't see the original Tribune article refer to him as African American. Did this upset you too, Dolly? Find the real point of this story and get over yourself. "

WHY??? wrote on September 27, 2006 9:38 AM:"Tell me why do we have to even bring "Native American" into this????? This is a sad story about a sick woman that should not have babies and should have the babies she does have taken away from her and placed in a stable and loving home atmosphere. Just another forum to air your "feel sorry for me" attitude - seriously~!!"

Jenny Michael, Tribune reporter wrote on September 27, 2006 9:32 AM:"To HOlly Dolly: We try very hard to include the race of a suspect in a crime only if law enforcement want the information released in order to locate the suspect. As Stacey Hildebrand is already in custody, her race is not relevant to the story."

Doug wrote on September 27, 2006 9:29 AM:"This incident has nothing to do with race. To Holly Dolly who is trying to throw in the "race card" in order to get people to start NEGATIVE comments about Native Americans...SHAME ON YOU! You know that is exactly what you are tyring to do."

Irritated wrote on September 27, 2006 9:26 AM:"It is so frustrating that there always has to be one person that says something stupid that has nothing to do with nothing. To Holly Dolly: Why does there have to be a racial thing all the sudden. I had a native american friend once that was the first one to point fingers and judge. She was also the first one to jump to conclusions and accuse people of judging her for being indian when absolutley nothing had happened to make her feel that way. She just liked to start fights. I'm going to assume you are one of them.Heck, maybe you are her!"

concerned wrote on September 27, 2006 9:13 AM:" it would never say that, helloooo they do nothing wrong. now if it was a native woman people would have slaughtered and murdered all natives through indian country. example; when the two men were charged with rape, nothing was said about the other man, but came to the native, it was a different story. People of all races have to remember that GOD LOVES ALL COLORS OF PEOPLE. isn't that what they preach in church when you go to church, or are we forgetting the ten commandments, love thy neighbor as thyself. remember people GOD knows what goes on and come judgement day people will pay for what they have done in their lifetime. "

RodM wrote on September 27, 2006 9:13 AM:"Who cares about this idiot woman...Get the kids away from her and put an end to that particular circle of destruction. "

QUESTION? wrote on September 27, 2006 8:58 AM:"My question is this.... If someone is deemed an unfit parent, what does it take to get the children placed into a safe environment? Too often, it seems that it is always too late. In so many cases the children are already terribly hurt or even dead, before the matter is taken seriously. Children can not and should not be raised in this kind of manner if there is going to be any hope for their future. I wish the family well. And pray for the welfare of the children in these circumstances."

The Kids wrote on September 27, 2006 8:47 AM:"Unfortunately, the ones who get hurt the most are the kids. Keeping her kids could result in injury, neglect or worse. If they are taken away, they will miss the mother I am sure they love. They are the ones hurt by this, not the mother."

Outraged! wrote on September 27, 2006 8:35 AM:"I could be politically correct and start by saying that addiction is a terrible thing and I wish her well but I'm not going to. This woman not only in my opinion should lose her children but should be serving time as well. She is a repeat offender who obviously cares more about her drugs than the well being of her kids. To screw once is bad enough when it comes to raising your kids but to do it over and over again...there should not be second and third chances."

stepper wrote on September 27, 2006 8:12 AM:"HELLO! This woman should not have access to any child let alone hers. Come on Social Services..do your job, how many red flags do you need? Unreal. "

Ok... wrote on September 27, 2006 7:34 AM:"Ok, let's all "slap her on the wrist, forgive her and send her on, huh?" Or, better yet....grant the naked boy a new future with a new family and teach him right from wrong so he can grow to be a great parent!!!!"

HOlly Dolly wrote on September 27, 2006 6:49 AM:"NOW I'm sure if she was native the paper would have had, a 41 year old native American from this tribe. hmmmmm how comeit doesnt say 41 year old white woman or cacausen"

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