Madeline Colunga, 28, of Texas recently faced arrest after leaving her baby and other young children home alone for an indeterminate amount of time, according to law enforcement in the Lone Star State.
Harris County court records obtained by Law&Crime show that prosecutors have charged Colunga with one felony count of abandoning a child with intent to return.
The incident occurred on July 8 at a residence on Cavern Springs Drive in Tomball – a small city and suburb located some 30 miles northwest of Houston and part of the broader metro area.
Neighbors reported several young children wandering outside without adult supervision, prompting deputies with Harris County Constable Precinct 4 to respond to the house, according to a press release.
“Upon arrival, deputies discovered three children, ages 1, 3, and 4, had been left home alone,” the press release reads. “Multiple attempts were made to contact the children’s mother, but she did not respond.”
Deputies eventually reached a family member, the constable said. That family member then contacted the mother of the children by phone, and she allegedly said she was on her way back home.
Authorities said details remain scarce, and the defendant allegedly provided little help in offering additional information about her absence.
“A short time later, the mother…returned to the home,” the press release goes on. “During the investigation, she was unable to provide a reasonable explanation for leaving the children unattended.”
Deputies then arrested Colunga and booked her in the Harris County Jail that night on an initial charge of child endangerment with intent to return. Court records show she posted her $5,000 bond quickly after it was set.
The charging document in the case, a criminal complaint, is relatively threadbare but does offer some additional details.
The document reads, in relevant part:
T]he Defendant…did then and there unlawfully, having care, custody, control of L.C., a child younger than fifteen years of age and hereafter called the Complainant, intentionally abandon the Complainant in a residence, under circumstances that exposed the Complainant to an unreasonable risk of harm, namely leaving the Complainant unsupervised in an unsecured residence where Complainant walked outside of the residence and with the intent to return for the Complainant, and the Defendant did not voluntarily deliver the Complainant to a designated emergency infant care provider
Meanwhile, law enforcement notified Child Protective Services about the incident. The constable’s office said the children were “safely released to a guardian at the scene.”
“The safety of our children is always our highest priority,” Constable Mark Herman said. “Leaving young children home alone places them at serious risk and is never worth the gamble. We are grateful for the neighbors who acted quickly and contacted law enforcement. If you see a child in danger, don’t hesitate to call 911.”
Colunga is slated to appear in court on Sept. 1.
Leave a Reply