Maternal instincts apparently missed a Texas mother who stands accused of leaving her two small children alone so she could embark on a Caribbean cruise.
Police charged 29-year-old Lakesha Woods Williams with two counts of child endangerment for allegedly leaving her children, aged six and eight, alone in her Houston apartment for six days. The two were abandoned in the high-rise structure in the Memorial neighborhood.
Meanwhile, their mother enjoyed a flight to Miami and then a vacation cruise to Puerto Rico. Williams reportedly departed for her trip on April 4 and did not return until April 10.
A welfare check conducted by law enforcement found the two children alone on April 9. According to local media, the apartment was in disarray with leftover food spread out and a strong odor.
Firefighters reported the kids “were in good health and not malnourished” despite going six days without adult care.
The mother allegedly left a video camera running inside the residence to be able to properly monitor her kids. Authorities determined this parenting method to be insufficient and removed the children before releasing them to an aunt.
Texas mother arrested for abandoning small children so she could go on Caribbean cruise vacation: Police https://t.co/qPl497bbB6
— Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) April 15, 2024
Constable Ted Heap posted on Facebook that investigators continue to work through the details of the children’s abandonment. “But the important thing is they are safe now and those responsible should be held accountable for leaving these kids in an unsafe situation.”
Incredibly, police reported that Williams attempted to lie about her true identity when confronted. According to the criminal complaint, she altered her story of where she was while the children were by themselves.
Chief Prosecutor Keegan Childers marveled at the level of irresponsibility allegedly shown by the mother.
She said the two had 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.”
Williams was placed behind bars at the Harris County Detention Center on a $25,000 bond the day she returned from her Caribbean cruise.
