Inset: Madeline Colunga (Harris County Constable Precinct 4). Background: The residential area where Colunga's children were allegedly left unattended in Tomball, Texas (Harris County Constable Precinct 4).
A woman in Texas was recently arrested after leaving her baby and other young children home for an indeterminate amount of time, according to law enforcement in the Lone Star State.
Madeline Colunga, 28, stands accused of one felony count of abandoning a child with intent to return, according to Harris County court records obtained by Law&Crime.
The underlying incident occurred on July 8 at a residence on Cavern Springs Drive in Tomball â a small city and suburb located some 30 miles northwest of Houston and part of the broader metro area.
Deputies with Harris County Constable Precinct 4 were called to the house after neighbors reported several young children wandering outside without adult supervision, according to a press release.
"Upon arrival, deputies discovered three children, ages 1, 3, and 4, had been left home alone," the press release reads. "Multiple attempts were made to contact the children's mother, but she did not respond."
Eventually, deputies were able to reach a family member, the constable said. The family member contacted the mother of the children by phone, who allegedly said she was on her way back home.
Details are scarce and the defendant allegedly was not much help in providing additional information about her absence, authorities said.
"A short time later, the mother…returned to the home," the press release goes on. "During the investigation, she was unable to provide a reasonable explanation for leaving the children unattended."
In turn, Colunga was arrested and booked in the Harris County Jail that night on an initial charge of child endangerment with intent to return. Her bond was set at $5,000 and quickly posted, court records show.
The charging document in the case, a criminal complaint, is relatively threadbare but does offer some additional details.
The document reads, in relevant part:
[T]he Defendant…did then and there unlawfully, having care, custody, control of L.C., a child younger than fifteen years of age and hereafter called the Complainant, intentionally abandon the Complainant in a residence, under circumstances that exposed the Complainant to an unreasonable risk of harm, namely leaving the Complainant unsupervised in an unsecured residence where Complainant walked outside of the residence and with the intent to return for the Complainant, and the Defendant did not voluntarily deliver the Complainant to a designated emergency infant care provider
Meanwhile, law enforcement notified Child Protective Services about the incident. The children were "safely released to a guardian at the scene," according to the constable's office.
"The safety of our children is always our highest priority," Constable Mark Herman said. "Leaving young children home alone places them at serious risk and is never worth the gamble. We are grateful for the neighbors who acted quickly and contacted law enforcement. If you see a child in danger, don't hesitate to call 911."
Colunga is slated to appear in court on Sept. 1.
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