<p>JOHNSTON, Iowa &#8212;</p> 
<p>An Iowa woman faces multiple charges after police said she left her four children home alone while taking a trip to Europe.</p> 
<p>Erin Lee Macke, 30, of Johnston, is charged with four counts of child endangerment &#8211; substantial risk, and one count of transfer of pistol or revolver to a person under 21.</p> 
<p>Johnston police Lt. Tyler Tompkins told KCCI that Macke left her children ages 12, 12, 7 and 6 alone at home Sept. 20 while she traveled to Germany.</p> 
<p>Tompkins said the children were left alone for 24 hours before the police department and Iowa Department of Human Services received a tip and visited the children.</p> 
<p>The children told police, &#8220;Mom left them and left the country,&#8221; police said.</p> 
<p>Tompkins told KCCI that police contacted Macke Sept. 21 and that Macke told officers she planned to be in Germany until Oct. 1.</p> 
<p>"All of her sitter options fell through, and she left the kids in the care of the two 12-year-olds," Tompkins said.</p> 
<p>He admitted that the case is well out of the ordinary.</p> 
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve never heard of anything like this before,&#8221; Tompkins said. &#8220;We have situations where parents go next door or parents may go out for the night, and while that&#8217;s not advisable either depending on the age of the children, obviously leaving the country is a totally different situation. This, where a parent has left the country and left the kids home alone, I&#8217;ve never heard of it before.&#8221;</p> 
<p>Authorities said they convinced Macke to return to the United States before Oct. 1. She arrived Wednesday evening and was arrested Thursday morning.</p> 
<p>Police said the 12-year-old children are staying with family and the seven- and six-year-old children are with their father.</p> 
<p>Macke is charged with one count of transfer of pistol or revolver to a person under 21 because there was a firearm within reach of the children in the home, according to police.</p>
Police: Mom leaves 4 young kids home alone, goes on European vacation