A Texas woman has been taken into custody after authorities reported that she left her young niece and nephew unsupervised in her apartment.
Mariana Soto Montezuma has been charged with two counts of abandoning or endangering a child with intent to return, following allegations that she left two young children alone in her residence. According to an arrest report obtained by San Antonio-based ABC affiliate KSAT, the children , a 5-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl , were discovered inside an apartment in Balcones Heights on November 7 by a Rent-a-Center employee.
Officers from the Balcones Heights Police Department responded to the scene, where the employee reported that the young boy had answered the door and informed him that his mother was not present.
The arrest report further indicates that the employee had arrived at the apartment to collect a payment. Upon looking inside, he observed the 4-year-old girl peering out from behind the kitchen counter. He waited approximately 10 to 15 minutes before contacting authorities. When officers subsequently knocked on the door, there was no response.
Police reported that Soto Montezuma returned to the apartment shortly after their arrival and identified herself as the children’s aunt. An assistant property manager granted officers access to the unit, where they found the children in a state of distress, described in the arrest report as “crying and visibly frightened.” No other adults were reported to be present in the home at that time.
Upon contacting the boy’s mother, officers were informed that she had left both children in Soto Montezuma’s care in order to seek medical attention at a hospital due to tooth pain. Following Soto Montezuma’s arrest, both children were returned to their respective mothers.
Soto Montezuma faces an additional charge of unlawful entry into the country, according to the report. She is currently being held at the Bexar County Detention Center without bond, with her next court date scheduled for March 31, 2027.
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