A Bismarck woman faces child abuse charges for allegedly leaving her 10-year-old daughter in charge of three other children to visit an inmate at the state penitentiary.

Amelia Byzewski, 31, was charged Monday with four counts of Class C felony abuse or neglect of a child.

South Central District Judge Gail Hagerty set bond for Byzewski at $1,000 cash. The judge prohibited Byzewski from contacting her children unless authorized by Burleigh County Social Services and from possessing or consuming alcohol.

Lt. Randy Ziegler said someone called police at 11:32 a.m. to report children playing in the road in a southeast Bismarck neighborhood. Responding officers found a nude 1-year-old boy running near the street, he said.

A 10-year-old girl was taking a nap inside the home, Ziegler said. He said she found a note from her mother, saying she'd be at the state penitentiary visiting an inmate. Also at the home were a 5-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy.

Officers found the mother at the prison and advised her to go home. She was arrested, and Burleigh County Social Services took custody of the children.

Burleigh County Assistant State's Attorney Julie Lawyer said Byzewski's children have been placed with a relative.

n In a separate incident, two other Bismarck women were arrested for child abuse.

Lynn Fox, 40, was charged with three Class Cfelony counts of abuse or neglect of a child, and Cheryl Fox, 43, was charged with two counts of Class Cfelony abuse or neglect of a child.

Hagerty set bond for each woman at $1,000 cash and prohibited them from having contact with their children unless authorized by social services.

Ziegler said police were called to a southwest Bismarck home at 6:31 p.m. Sunday by a girl who had been watching five children. The girl said Lynn Fox, mother of an 8-year-old girl and 7-year-old boy, and Cheryl Fox, mother of a 1-year-old girl, 3-year-old boy and 8-year-old boy, had left around 12:30 p.m. Sunday.

The 13-year-old girl said she was under the impression an older son of Lynn Fox was supposed to watch the children, but the son said he had no knowledge of such a thing, Ziegler said. He said the girl, who was not supposed to be watching the children but happened to be at the home, had fed the children earlier in the day, but later could find no food or diapers in the home. She had no way of contacting the women, Ziegler said.

Lynn Fox and Cheryl Fox came back to the home while police and social workers were still there, Ziegler said. He said one of them admitted to having been drinking while they were gone.

The women were arrested and social services took custody of the children.

(Reach reporter Jenny Michael at 250-8225 or jenny.michael@bismarcktribune.com.)