Authorities say a Houston home with no electricity and floors smeared with dog feces is where infants in the care of 38-year-old Delissa Monique Williams were found malnourished and living in squalor. Williams was arrested just before 10 a.m. on Dec. 18 and is now charged with a felony count of endangering a child. A judge set her bond at $35,000, according to court documents.
What Investigators Say They Found
Court records describe the children in Williams’ care as “living in unsafe conditions surrounded by dog feces and no electricity,” and say she denied providing food to at least one infant and failed to take that child to a designated emergency infant care provider, according to Click2Houston. The outlet reports that investigators leaned on court filings and financial statements to assemble the case. Officials have not publicly said how long the children were in those conditions.
How the Charge Works Under Texas Law
Williams is facing a felony charge of endangering a child, a statute that covers behavior ranging from reckless omission to outright abandonment and that can be filed at different felony levels depending on the situation. Under Texas law, abandoning or endangering a child can be punished anywhere from a state jail felony to a second-degree felony if the conduct created an imminent risk of death or serious injury. The law also protects people who voluntarily deliver a child to a designated emergency infant care provider. The statute is outlined on FindLaw.
Neglect Cases Strain Texas Agencies
Cases like this land in an already overloaded system. In FY 2023, Texas completed more than 160,000 CPS investigations and logged roughly 58,000 confirmed victims, according to a University of Texas guide summarizing DFPS data. The Texas Education Agency notes that with Senate Bill 571 in 2025, lawmakers shortened the mandatory reporting window for certain professionals from 48 hours to 24 hours, tightening the deadline for mandated reporters to contact DFPS or law enforcement. Advocates say those changes, combined with staffing pressures, have influenced how quickly neglect allegations move from an initial report to a full investigation.
Houston’s Recent, Grim Precedent
Houston has seen similarly harrowing neglect cases in recent years. In one widely watched 2024 case, a woman received a 50-year sentence after children were found thin and malnourished and a sibling’s body had decomposed in an apartment, as reported by AP News. That case and others have increased local scrutiny of how agencies respond when infants and young children are discovered in extreme conditions.
What Happens Next for Williams
Williams remains charged and subject to prosecution, with bond set at $35,000, according to court filings. Click2Houston reports that investigators reviewed financial statements listing a possible previous employer, and that KPRC 2 contacted the phone number tied to that business as part of its reporting. Prosecutors had not released a public statement, and a future court date was not immediately available in online records.
How to Report Suspected Abuse or Neglect
Texas law requires anyone who suspects a child is being abused or neglected to report it to the Texas Abuse Hotline at 1-800-252-5400 or online at TXAbuseHotline.org, as explained by TexasLawHelp. Reports made in good faith are protected under state law, and DFPS or local law enforcement will review the information to decide whether to open an investigation.
