Parker County deputies arrested two parents after investigators said they left their 3-year-old son and 1-year-old daughter home alone twice in one night, first for dinner and then for a trip to a bar.
Breanna Nicole White and Evan Daniel White, both 26, face state jail felony charges of child abandonment with intent to return, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.
Deputies responded to a home in southwest Parker County at about 12:02 a.m. Sunday, November 8, after someone raised concerns that two small children might be alone. The parents returned about eight minutes later and let deputies inside, according to the report.
Investigators said the couple initially left the children at about 8 p.m. Saturday, November 7, to eat at a local restaurant. After returning home, the parents allegedly went out again to a bar and left the children without adult supervision a second time.
The sheriff’s office said the children were too young to care for themselves during the parents’ absences. Child Protective Services placed the siblings with relatives while investigators examined the case, according to the report.
Jail records indicate both parents secured release the day of their arrests on $5,000 bonds. The charges remain allegations, and the parents are presumed innocent unless prosecutors prove guilt.
Texas does not set a minimum age for children to stay home alone, the Texas State Law Library explains in its guidance on child supervision. Instead, authorities consider whether inadequate supervision amounts to neglect.
The guidance says a situation that demands judgment beyond a child’s maturity or abilities can constitute neglect when it causes bodily injury or immediate danger of harm.
Provided by Dallas Express
