Jefferson County grand jurors returned six indictments against 31-year-old Dawn A. Vickers after a September incident in Beaumont, with one count for each of six children, KFDM reported. The charges allege abandonment or endangerment with intent to return, a state jail felony under Texas Penal Code Section 22.041(d)(1). The children ranged in age from 8 months to 10 years.
Potential penalties
If convicted, Vickers could face up to two years in state jail and a fine of up to $4,000 on each count, KFDM reported. The maximums across all six counts would total 12 years and $24,000; any sentence would depend on the case’s outcome and applicable law.
What the affidavit says led to the charges
According to KFDM’s account of the arrest affidavit, an 8-year-old girl was found alone near Highland and Lavaca at about 11:35 p.m. on Sept. 10. She told an officer that her mother was working at Waffle House and her siblings were at home without an adult. Officers then found five other children at the residence, including an 8-month-old.
The affidavit, as described by KFDM, reported that the apartment was very warm, insects were present on walls and floors, and several children appeared to have insect bites. Officers reportedly found only a few canned goods and a box of instant mashed potatoes. The 10-year-old was said to be responsible for the five younger children; the affidavit did not state how long they had been alone.
Arrest and children’s status
KFDM reported that Beaumont police located Vickers working at a Waffle House on Twin City Highway in Port Arthur, where Port Arthur officers detained her. Beaumont officers later took custody of her near Jack Brooks Regional Airport and brought her to the Beaumont Police Department for an interview. A records check found two outstanding justice of the peace warrants. She was arrested on allegations that the children had been exposed to an unreasonable risk of harm and taken to the Jefferson County Correctional Facility. KFDM reported the children were safe with family.
In a separate case, USA Today reported that a Florida mother was arrested after deputies said she left four children home alone for four days during a work trip to Las Vegas.
A separate Houston case
In a separate Houston case, ABC News reported that Lakesha Williams was accused of leaving her 8- and 6-year-old children alone while she went on a cruise. Neighbors reportedly saw her leave with luggage on April 4, and deputies found the children five days later. Unlike the Beaumont case, the Houston allegations involved two children and a reported absence during a cruise.
