SOUTH BEND, IN (indiana's News Center) --- A South Bend couple left their three children unattended in a motel late Saturday night.

During a routine traffic stop early Sunday morning, Indiana State Police discovered a couple that had left there 4 year old, 2 year old and 18 month old children at the South Bend Motel.

When State Trooper Mick Dockery stopped the 1998 Nissan, he used his narcotics dog, Hondo, to conduct an exterior drug search of the vehicle.

The dog alerted Dockery to the possible presence of narcotics, prompting a full search of the car. Lionel D. Murphy, 24, and Kathy Nettavong, 23, both of South Bend, allegedly possessed marijuana.

Further investigation revealed that the children were left at the motel unattended. South Bend Police Department dispatched officers to the motel where the children wee located unharmed. The children were then released into the custody of child protective services.

Murphy and Nettavong were incarcerated at the Saint Joseph's County Jail to face charges for marijuana possession and three counts of child neglect. Nettavong faces an additional charge for public intoxication. Murphy faces an additional for reckless driving and possession of drug paraphernalia.