ODESSA, Texas — A Texas woman is accused of leaving her four children -- all ages 9 or younger -- at home alone while she traveled to Mexico, authorities said.
Cassandra Leigh Esparza, 24, of Odessa, was charged with four counts of child abandonment/endangerment, KXAN-TV reported. She was arrested Tuesday and was booked into the Ector County Law Enforcement Center, according to online booking records. Esparza’s bail was set at $24,000, online records show.
According to an arrest affidavit, on Feb. 13 the Odessa Police Department was notified by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services about a claim that the four children -- ages 9, 7, 4 and 2 -- had been left alone while Esparza left the country.
The agency told police that a witness received a telephone call from one of the children asking for help, KXAN reported.
The witness said she went to check on the children and discovered they were “filthy,” with no food or drinks in the home, according to the television station.
The 4-year-old was “very sick” and was suffering from a cough, wheezing and shortness of breath, the witness told the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. The person attempted to call Esparza but it went to voicemail, according to KXAN.
The older children were later interviewed by authorities and said Esparza had instructed them to remain inside the home, the television station reported. She had left them with snacks, an affidavit stated.
The children said they had given their ailing 4-year-old sibling medicine they found in the home.
After the investigation, a warrant was issued for Esparza’s arrest. She was taken into custody and her bail was set at $24,000, online records show.
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