On April 4, 2024, a mother of two allegedly packed a suitcase and left for a cruise. She is accused of leaving her 8-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter home alone to fend for themselves. She was arrested on April 11.
Lakesha Woods Williams is facing charges of abandoning a child with intent to return. She is 29 years old and a resident of Houston, Texas. Her bond was set at $25,000. She claims she paid a cousin to watch her kids.
The unsupervised children came to the attention of authorities because Williams’ neighbors reported it. They saw her leave without the kids. She did not return.
When police arrived to do a welfare check on the children on April 9, they discovered they were home alone. Police say the apartment was a mess and smelled like pee. Trash and left-over food reportedly covered the place. The kids told officers that their mom was on a cruise.
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Officers allegedly discovered a cellphone and webcam. It is believed that Williams was using those to check up on her kids. The children were determined to be in good health by first responders. They were released by Child Protective Services to the custody of their aunt.
Keegan Childers, the chief prosecutor of the 209th District Court, is outraged by this case. "These children were left unattended for many days and put in harm's way," Childers explained. "For them to provide for themselves, feed themselves, take care of themselves, as well as, what if somebody breaks in? What if there's a bad neighbor? Any number of horror, nightmare scenarios that could come up."
Williams allegedly flew from Houston to Miami to board her cruise. She traveled to Puerto Rico onboard. When she first came back home, police say she lied about her identity.
