A 29-year-old mother treated herself to a lavish cruise to Puerto Rico to relax and enjoy the sun. However, she left one important thing behind — her kids.
Lakesha Woods Williams left her 6-year-old daughter and 8-year-old son alone in her high-rise Houston apartment for five days while she went on vacation.
The mother was seen leaving the apartment building with luggage on April 4, neighbors told police. After not seeing her again for multiple days, residents called the Harris County Precinct 5 Constable’s Office for a wellness check, according to ABC 13 KTRK.
Upon arrival, deputies found the children alone, surrounded by trash and leftover food. There was a “potent smell of urine” in the apartment, deputies said, per Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The kids told officers their mother had left to go on vacation, and they didn’t know when she would return. Paramedics and Child Protective Services were also called to the scene.
Williams was charged with abandoning a child with intent to return and is being held on a $25,000 bond.
The woman reportedly used a webcam to watch and talk to her children while she was away and corresponded with the 8-year-old over text.
Once law enforcement was able to reach Williams, she allegedly would not cooperate and kept switching her story on her whereabouts, according to ABC 13 KTRK.
The mother returned to her apartment on the night of April 10 and was arrested the following day by Precinct 5 deputies.
According to Williams’ neighbors, this is not the first time the children have been left alone for long periods.
On Friday, Williams appeared before a magistrate, who set the mother’s bond higher than usual due to allegations that similar circumstances had previously occurred.
Both children are now in the custody of their aunt, and Williams is prevented from communicating with or being near either of them due to a protective order issued by the magistrate.
“We are still putting together the facts and circumstances of how these children were left alone for several days,” said Constable Ted Heap, according to the New York Post. “But the important thing is they are safe now, and those responsible should be held accountable for leaving these kids in an unsafe situation.”
