A 28-year-old Enloe man is behind bars after deputies say he assaulted a family member, made threats and took a child from a residence without authorization, triggering an Amber Alert before he was tracked down in a neighboring county. Cody Horton was taken into custody without further incident, and the child was safely recovered and reunited with the caretaker.
According to myparistexas.com, deputies responded to a residence in Enloe in the 1600 block of FM 198 west regarding terroristic threats and a non-custodial parent taking a child away from the residence. The Paris News reports that the Delta County Sheriff's Department described a different location in its own account, placing deputies' response in the 900 block of U.S. 82 West — a discrepancy between the two reports that has not been reconciled.
Amber Alert Issued Over Child's Safety
Due to concerns for the child's safety, an Amber Alert was issued, the outlet's report states. Under criteria described by the Texas Department of Public Safety, such alerts apply to children 17 or younger whose whereabouts are unknown and whose disappearance law enforcement has determined poses a credible threat to their safety and health.
Once the alert went out, a coordinated response followed. A coordinated effort involving the Delta County Sheriff's Office, Hopkins County Sheriff's Office Patrol, and the Texas Rangers led to locating Horton at a residence in the Tira area of Hopkins County, per the same account. He was taken into custody there without further incident.
Charges Filed Against Horton
Horton was booked into the Hopkins County Jail on three charges: a second-degree felony count of abandoning or endangering a child by placing the child in imminent danger of bodily injury, a Class A misdemeanor count of assault causing bodily injury to a family member, and a Class A misdemeanor count of making a terroristic threat causing fear of imminent serious bodily injury. Texas statute, as excerpted by the Texas Constitution and Statutes website, allows child abandonment to be charged as a second-degree felony when the actor abandons a child under circumstances a reasonable person would believe place the child in imminent danger of death, bodily injury, or physical or mental impairment.
The Delta County Sheriff's Office thanked the public and partnering agencies for their assistance in the case, the report notes, and said the department remains committed to protecting the safety and well-being of the community. No arrest affidavit, jail record or court filing has been made public, and details such as Horton's attorney, bond amount or any upcoming court date remain unknown.
