Authorities in Texas say a young child was placed in serious danger after she was captured on a property owner’s overnight camera roaming through a field in the early morning hours. The footage, taken around 3 a.m., reportedly showed a young girl wandering alone in the dark in temperatures that had dropped into the 40s. She appeared to be dressed only in a light outfit and was barefoot. The cam owner contacted the authorities a couple of hours later and reported the images.
Deputies immediately began searching the surrounding area. Not long into the search, the child’s mother contacted authorities and reported that her daughter had gotten out of the house earlier that morning. She said she had located the child around 4:15 a.m. but had not informed law enforcement until after sunrise.
When deputies arrived at the family’s residence, they reported finding conditions that raised concerns. The home allegedly contained trash, spoiled food, unsanitary clothing, and evidence of rodents. The toddler was also reportedly dirty, and the mother allegedly declined to provide fresh clothing or accept assistance.
During the investigation, the child’s grandmother arrived at the home but left shortly after. Authorities later learned that she had gone to a nearby school, where she tried to pull the child’s three siblings out of class before the school day began. Staff members reported that she told them the situation was a family matter and prevented the children from talking to them about it.
Both parties were taken into custody and booked into the Bexar County Jail. The mother of the youngster is facing a preliminary charge of abandoning and endangering a child with imminent danger of bodily injury, and the grandmother could be charged with interference with an investigation of abuse or neglect. According to records, they are no longer incarcerated.
It was reported that all four children were taken to a hospital for evaluation.
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