An irresponsible act. Lakesha Woods Williams was arrested by police for leaving her 8-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter home alone so she could go on a cruise to Puerto Rico. The 29-year-old mother was seen alone, by neighbors, leaving her home in Houston (Texas) on April 4 with bags and luggage, says local media ABC 13.
Not seeing her return in the days that followed, the neighbors of this luxury building decided to call the police to express their concern about the safety of the two children, probably left alone in the accommodation.
Tuesday April 9, several police officers went to the apartment where they discovered the brother and his little sister, left to their own devices, at home. The accommodation was in disarray, with lots of rubbish and food scraps scattered on the floor, all with “a very strong smell of urine”. “No adults were present to supervise the juveniles, and none appeared to have been present since the defendant left,” the report states.
Children entrusted to their aunt
Police also found a camera in the apartment that the mother used to watch and talk to the children during her trip. Her son also had a phone that he used to text his mother. “Officers attempted to contact the defendant to bring her in, but she was uncooperative and changed her story about where she was,” continues the report seen by USA Today.
“These children were left unsupervised for several days and they were put in danger,” said Keegan Childers, the chief prosecutor in Houston's 209th District Court. “Left to their own devices to provide for themselves, to feed themselves, to take care of themselves… what if someone had broken in? What if there was a neighbor with bad intentions? There are many horror and nightmare scenarios that could have happened,” he added.
Despite this, firefighters determined that the children were in good health, and were released to their aunt by Child Protective Services. Arrested on her return from a cruise on Wednesday evening, the mother should soon be released on bail this week, and will have to wear an electronic bracelet.