Mother Arrested for Allegedly Intentionally Leaving Toddlers in Car Overnight, Killing Them Both

A 19-year-old mother from Texas has been arrested after her two toddler daughters died after she left them in a hot car overnight for more than 15 hours.

According to a press release from the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office, 19-year-old Amanda Hawkins from San Antonio was arrested on Thursday on two counts of abandoning or endangering a child. The sheriff said the charges may be upgraded later, and it seems likely that they will be, because Hawkins’ story is cruel and horrible beyond belief.

Hawkins reportedly was with a 16-year-old boy when she brought her 1-year-old and 2-year-old daughters to the hospital in grave condition on Wednesday and told the doctors that the kids had been at the lake that day and had suddenly collapsed after smelling some flowers. It sounds like she was maybe trying to make it sound like the kids had been accidentally poisoned.

But police and doctors quickly ascertained that the children hadn’t been poisoned by mysterious flowers. They’d been left in the mother’s car overnight for more than 15 hours without food, water, or new diapers while she was inside at a friend’s house. She reportedly did not take them out of the car until about noon on Wednesday, and by then they were allegedly unresponsive. She still did not take them to the hospital, though. She reportedly told police she took them home and gave them baths and changed their clothes because she “didn’t want to get into trouble.”

According to The Huffington Post, the sheriff told reporters that a person inside the house said they’d seen the children in the car and heard them crying, and that they said they’d told the mother to bring them inside. The mother allegedly said to ignore them, because they’d cry themselves to sleep.

Both children died the next day, and Hawkins was arrested on two counts of abandoning or endangering a child. She could well be facing even more severe charges, though. The boy who came with her to take the girls to the hospital could also face charges, but his role in the tragedy is not yet clear.

This whole case is just horrible. Sheriff Hierholzer says it’s by far the most horrific case of child endangerment he’s seen in 37 years in law enforcement.

(Image: iStockPhoto / Antonprado)

Similar Posts