Texas police recently arrested a woman who supposedly left her five children at home alone while she traveled out of state. However, the woman refutes the allegation that she abandoned her children and is instead chalking it up to a misunderstanding between her and other adults. In this type of situation, mounting a strong child protection defense can be important, particularly for parents who hope to keep or regain custody of their children.
The mother admitted that she flew to another state in order to visit the beach with a friend, but she claims that two other adults were supposed to be caring for her five children. According to her, a neighbor had agreed to be with the children during the day. She also said that the father of one of her children had agreed to stay the night and care for the kids, who range in age from 12 years to 15 months.
According to investigators, the children were largely left unsupervised. The neighbor and father visited periodically to bring food, but never stayed long and never overnight. Police were first made aware of the situation when one of the children told his or her school principal that they had been up much of the night changing diapers. When officers entered the home while the mother was still away, they described finding multiple knives that the children had easy access to. The youngest child had also allegedly been left unattended.
Although the children were placed in foster care at first, they are now staying with the father of one of the kids. The mother is charged with abandoning a child as well as for placing them in imminent danger, both of which are felonies in Texas. These charges often necessitate a timely start on a child protection defense, which can give defendants the time and space in which to prepare.
