Texas Mother Charged After Small Children Discovered Alone At Home With Only Frozen Meat For Food

A Texas mother is facing criminal charges after authorities determined she left her three young children alone at home with minimal food available.

Shaquita Evans, 36, was arrested on Sunday on a charge related to child abandonment, according to an arrest affidavit.

Deputies with the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office responded the previous Thursday to a residence on Bushbuck Field to conduct a welfare check. A neighbor initiated the call after Evans’ 8-year-old child knocked on their door requesting food, the affidavit stated.

Upon arriving at the scene, deputies discovered the 8-year-old and two younger siblings, ages 2 and 1, inside the home without any adult present. Investigators described the interior of the residence as disarrayed, noting that the only food available consisted of frozen meat and canned goods.

Neighbors in the area told local news outlet KSAT 12 that the children had approached them on previous occasions under similar circumstances.

“She’ll come up and ask for water and food, so we’ve given her some stuff,” said Daniel Clough, a nearby resident. Clough further noted that he frequently observed the two older children outside unsupervised, at times during typical school hours.

“Usually, I see them running around with no adult supervision,” Clough said. “Anything can happen. As you know, the children can get taken. They can get hurt on the street, and we have no way of contacting anybody.”

Deputies reached Evans by phone, and she returned to the residence shortly thereafter.

According to the affidavit, Evans informed investigators that she was unemployed and had been away attending a job interview. However, when deputies spoke with a woman who had initially provided an alibi for Evans, that individual admitted Evans had asked her to provide false information to law enforcement.

Investigators also questioned Evans about her children’s school attendance. The affidavit indicates she acknowledged allowing them to stay home from school on occasion and questioned the obligation to send them at all.

Following the conclusion of the investigation, authorities booked Evans into the Bexar County jail.