Staten Island mom accused of leaving kids

STATEN ISLAND The woman, 29-year-old Chikenya Collier, says she went on a quick deli run while the children - ages 10, 9 and 3 - were in bed. But police say she was gone for more than two hours, and that the 9-year-old was spotted down the block, hungrily eyeing a vending machine.

Collier says the kids had access to bread and noodles; police say they only found old meat and moldy ice cream.

She faces three counts of child endangerment.

It is not Collier's first brush with the law.

In 2003, she was accused of trying to help the infamous Ronell Wilson, who murdered two NYPD detectives and is now facing the death penalty. Collier allegedly tried to hide Wilson when he was being pursued, but she was never indicted.

Collier is awaiting trial on a separate charge, allegedly threatening the father of one of her children and violating an order of protection.

The children are now in the care of ACS.