NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Over the weekend, a Nacogdoches County woman was charged with a felony after leaving her child unattended.
Nacogdoches County officials were dispatched to the 500 block of CR 6101 on the morning of Friday, Feb. 4, following a 911 call regarding a young boy who was seen waiving down traffic near the road.
The six year old boy was wearing a jacket along with athletic shorts, but did not have any shoes while temperatures were below freezing. A concerned driver immediately contacted authorities after finding out the boy woke up a short while ago, unable to find his mother.
Investigators arrived and provided the child with a spare jacket. Upon investigation, no other adult caretaker was available at the home. Numerous calls were made to multiple phone numbers found in public records, but officials were not able to contact the mother. That's when Child Protective Services was contacted.
The mother, Kaneesha Quenise Watts, 31, arrived while officials were investigating at the residence. Watts explained she was working for a delivery service and had left home to complete three deliveries.
When authorities asked why the child was left alone, Watts said she did not want to wake him up.
Watts was arrested and charged with abandoning or endangering a child, a state-jail felony punishable by anywhere between 180 days to two years of incarceration.
The child was safely released to a family member. Nacogdoches County officials praise the citizen who stopped on his way to work to check on the child, and stayed with him to keep him safe until the arrival of authorities.
