A 2-year-old girl in Texas was found walking alone in the woods in the middle of the night, which led to the arrest of her mother and grandmother. The little girl was spotted on a property owner’s game camera around 3:00 a.m., wearing only a dress with no shoes.
According to People, the homeowner saw the footage and called the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office around 6:00 a.m. Deputies started searching for the child right away. The temperature that night was in the 40s, which meant the little girl could have been in serious danger.
At 7:20 a.m., a woman named Haley Peoples called to report that her 2-year-old daughter had left their home earlier that morning. But police say they actually found the child outside at 4:15 a.m. and didn’t call for help even though deputies were actively looking for her. “Due to the hazardous conditions, refusal of medical care, and the severe risk posed to the child, deputies detained Peoples,” the sheriff’s office stated.
The conditions inside the home raised serious red flags
When deputies arrived at the home, they found terrible living conditions. The house had trash everywhere, dirty clothes, rotting food, rat droppings, and a strong smell of urine. The 2-year-old was found in a dirty condition, and an emergency medical worker wanted to check on her health.
Peoples refused to let medical staff help the child and also refused to change the girl’s dirty clothes. Because of the dangerous conditions in the home and Peoples refusing medical care for her daughter, deputies arrested her on the spot. While toddlers can certainly cause chaos in any home, like when kids hide surprising messes, this situation went far beyond normal parenting challenges.
The child’s grandmother, Rebecca Kelly, showed up at the scene but left when deputies asked her to wait for a supervisor. Shortly after, deputies found out that Kelly went to an elementary school and tried to take the child’s three other siblings out of class before 9:00 a.m.
School staff said Kelly told them that Child Protective Services was coming. She also told the children not to talk about what happened that morning and called it a private family matter. Deputies said this was an attempt to interfere with their investigation and put the other children at risk. Some toddlers are known for their strong-willed personalities with parents, but these children needed protection from the adults who should have been caring for them.
Kelly was arrested at the school, and all four children, who are all under eight years old, were taken to the hospital for medical checks. Peoples was charged with Abandoning/Endangering a Child, Imminent Danger of Bodily Injury. Kelly was charged with Interference with Investigation of Abuse/Neglect. Peoples posted a $50,000 bond and was released from jail. Kelly posted a $7,500 bond and was also released.
Published: Dec 9, 2025 01:14 pm