Law enforcement in Texas recently arrested a mother for abandoning her two young children so that she could take a vacation on a Caribbean cruise.
Texas mother arrested for abandoning small children so she could go on Caribbean cruise vacation: Police https://t.co/BcXKCRvGsG pic.twitter.com/2ASRQKRhtX
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) April 15, 2024
Lakesha Woods Williams, 29, was arrested on two charges of child endangerment, according to the Blaze.
Authorities accused Williams of leaving her 6-year-old and 8-year-old children alone in her apartment in Houston, Texas. Law enforcement said the mother left her children at home for nearly a week while she was on vacation.
The Blaze pointed out that Williams abandoned her children so she could take a Caribbean cruise vacation.
On April 9, 2024, police conducted a welfare check on the children and found them to be abandoned. The young children told law enforcement that their mother had left them alone to go on a vacation.
KTRK-TV noted that Williams’ apartment was in poor condition, with trash and leftover food scattered all around. There was also a “potent” smell of urine in the residence.
Paramedics and Child Protective Services were sent to the apartment to monitor the health of the children. Firefighters indicated that they “were in good health and not malnourished.”
It is believed that no adults checked on the children for the six days that their mother was gone. The children were taken out of the home and put in the custody of their aunt.
When questioned, Williams reportedly deceived police about her identity.
“Deputies tried contacting the Defendant to make the scene, but she was not cooperating and was switching up her story on her whereabouts,” the criminal complaint states.
In a statement, Harris County Constable Precinct 5 said investigations are ongoing.
“We are still putting together the facts and circumstances of how these children were left alone for several days, but the important thing is they are safe now and those responsible should be held accountable for leaving these kids in an unsafe situation,” the statement read.
The chief prosecutor for the 29th District Court, Keegan Childers, said, “These children were left unattended for many days and put in harm’s way. For them to provide for themselves, feed themselves, take care of themselves, as well as, what if somebody breaks in? What if there’s a bad neighbor? Any number of horror, nightmare scenarios that could come up.”
