Mom, 19, Charged With Child Abandonment After Kids Found Alone

SPRING, TX — A 19-year-old woman was arrested and charged with child abandonment after her 3-year-old child was found wandering in the parking lot of an apartment complex.

Deputy constables were called to the Morgan Bay Apartments in the 14400 block of Ella Blvd on Friday morning after the child was found in the parking lot.

Deputies searched the apartment complex for about 15 minutes before they found the child's mother, who was identified as Cecilia Rodriguez.

The mother said she'd left her two children alone for approximately an hour to run errands and asked her ex-boyfriend to come over to watch them. She said she was not aware that he did not go over.

When deputies went to her apartment, they found the interior disheveled and filthy with old food and garbage strewn throughout.

The children were transported to Houston Northwest Hospital for evaluation and after being released, Child Protective Services were contacted and took custody of them.

Rodriguez was arrested and booked into the Harris County Jail, charged with Child Abandonment with intent to Return. Her bond and court information have not been set at this time.

(For more news and information like this, subscribe to Patch for free. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here.)

Image: HCSO

Send your news tips and story ideas to bryan.kirk@patch.com