An Ephrata mother was convicted of leaving her three children – all under age 7 – home alone for over an hour, then creating a bizarre story for police.

A local jury convicted Angela Marie Jones on Tuesday of three counts of endangering children regarding the July 11, 2014, incident.

It was the second time in three years Jones, 29, has been convicted of endangering her children. In 2012, she pleaded to dangling her infant daughter over a second-floor balcony while fighting with the child’s father.

Assistant District Attorney Fritz Haverstick won the conviction this week. The jury took about 20 minutes to decide the case.

In the latest incident, Jones left her children – ages 1, 3 and 6 – during which time the 3-year-old got out of the home.

A neighbor, also Jones’ uncle, found the 3-year-old crying outside. Police were contacted by another person.

About an hour later, after police left, a neighbor observed Jones return home, getting out of a person’s vehicle.

Police were called back to the home. Jones told police she was “out back” at an AA meeting and left the kids with a baby-sitter for about five minutes. She said in that time her uncle took the children from the home.

Ephrata police Sgt. Philip Snavely, who filed charges, knew that was a lie because he was at the home previously for 23 minutes – and Jones was never there.

Jones will be sentenced after a background check is completed. State sentencing guidelines call for a 9-to-16-month prison term on each of the three misdemeanor counts, according to Haverstick.

County Judge Jeffery Wright, who presided over the trial, will order sentence.

MEDIA CONTACT: Brett A. Hambright, 717-295-2041; bhambright@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @BrettHambright