BROWNSVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A Brownsville mother was arrested after six children were found to be living in unsanitary conditions, police said.
Samantha Lee Abrego, 25, was arrested on six counts of child endangerment with criminal neglect, a second degree felony, according to a news release from the Brownsville Police Department.
At 5:30 p.m. Saturday, officers responded to the Tropical Garden Apartments at the 200 block of Ash Street after receiving multiple calls of unattended children in the parking lot. When officers arrived, they saw three children, some of whom were naked and barefoot, running around the parking lot in the rain, police said.
Police determined which apartment the children lived in and spoke with their mother, identified as Abrego.
According to the release, Abrego appeared to have just woken up due to a “sluggish demeanor.” While officers spoke with her, they detected a strong odor of feces coming from inside the apartment and saw three other children inside.
Officers entered the apartment due to the circumstances to check on the welfare of the children.
“Inside the apartment, there were stains of feces on the walls and couches,” police said. “The children also appeared to have dry stains of feces on their faces.”
The children were described as nude and appearing to have not showered in a long time.
Based on the findings, police took Abrego into custody. Her mother arrived and took custody of the children. Child Protective Services was also contacted.
Abrego was arraigned Sunday and her bond was set at $36,000.
