MIDDLEBURG, Fla. – A weekend party at a Middleburg home got out of hand and led to the arrest of the homeowner, according to the Clay County Sheriff's Office.
Investigators said Alena Farmer, 39, knowingly allowed a party to take place inside her home, where minors were seen drinking alcohol. She later bonded out of jail and spoke to News4Jax.
Clay County deputies said while responding to a disturbance call on Honeysuckle Circle, they discovered 20-30 underage drinkers in the home on Saturday night. As some of the guests fled, Farmer was confronted by a deputy who said farmer had bloodshot eyes and smelled of alcohol.
Farmer, however, denies she was intoxicated. She told News4Jax she was not feeling well.
"He asked me, 'Are you the owner of the house?' I said, 'Yes sir I am.' He said. 'You're in big trouble,'" Farmer told News4Jax.
Farmer says she was read her rights then taken into custody. She contends that she never permitted underaged drinking.
According to Farmer, it started when her son asked if he could have a party to celebrate his 20th birthday. She said they agreed there would only be 10 people in attendance, and there would be no loud noise. But while she was in her bedroom, people continued arriving.
"It started getting louder," Farmer said. "I came out of my room, and there was 25 to 30 people, and there were several I had never seen before."
She said many of them were ordered to leave, but as more started arriving, she confronted her son.
"'All these people need to get out of the house,' I said. This is not what we planned on," Farmer said.
A short time later, deputies arrived, Farmer said. She had a message for the parents of the minors who attended the party.
"I would never do anything to harm your children," Farmer said. "I definitely wouldn't buy them alcohol."
Farmer said she knew her son's friends who were 21 had alcohol, but she was not aware that people under 21 were drinking. She believes one of her son's friends advertised the party on social media, which led to more people showing up.