A woman from Texas was recently arrested for deliberately leaving her 16-month-old child alone to travel out of town and visit a man she met on a dating app, according to law enforcement authorities in the Lone Star State.
Reese Louise Myers, aged 25, is facing charges of abandoning or endangering a child, as stated by the Killeen Police Department.
In the middle of this past summer, the defendant was arrested near the small city of Barstow in the Inland Empire region of Southern California on a fugitive warrant. It was only earlier this month that she was finally apprehended. This week, she has just returned to Texas.
Police responded to a welfare check at an apartment on West Hallmark Avenue in Killeen, Texas, on the morning of July 28. The authorities were called to ensure the well-being of a child, according to a spokesperson for the Killeen Police Department.
According to a statement issued by the department, officers responded to a report of a child in danger near a broken window. The report also mentioned the presence of an aggressive dog that was trying to attack the child. Upon their arrival, the officers witnessed a child sticking out of a window that had been temporarily fixed with plexiglass sheeting and cardboard. Fortunately, the window was not shattered.
Upon entering the apartment, authorities discovered the child unaccompanied, dressed only in a T-shirt, with no other clothing on, according to the police. Additionally, the toddler exhibited signs of neglect, including feces on their skin and visible indications of diaper rash.
During the search of the apartment, officers discovered that the child was alone, except for two dogs. According to the police department’s report, they contacted the child’s mother, who informed them that she had been in San Antonio since the previous day.
San Antonio is located approximately 160 miles south-southwest of Killeen.
The child was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for medical attention. Following this, the state Child Protective Services took custody of the child.
According to an arrest affidavit obtained by Waco-based Fox affiliate KWKT, when police contacted Myers, she reportedly claimed that she had come to the Alamo City to visit a man she had met on Hinge.
According to the mother, she claimed to the police that she had entrusted her child to a babysitter whom she had found on Facebook. In light of this, the police decided to investigate further and approached the supposed babysitter for her side of the story.
The police narrative describes that the officers reached out to the babysitter, who revealed that she had previously looked after the suspect’s child in December of last year. According to her, she had not been in contact with the suspect since then. To support her claim, she showed the officers her Facebook messages, which revealed no communication between them after December 2023.
According to law enforcement, the layout and setup of the house indicated that Myers had intended to leave her son alone.
It is believed that the precautions taken were quite evident. These measures included closing off most doors, using a baby gate to block the kitchen area, locking the deadbolt on the door, and securing all other windows by locking and shutting them. However, it seems that one window was left somewhat makeshift-closed, as the boy was observed hanging out of it.
According to the police department, the officers instructed the mother to go back to Killeen.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office arrested Myers on November 5, reportedly failing to comply with the request.
The defendant was apprehended at an undisclosed location within the vast Fort Irwin Army Base in California, a staggering 1,365 miles away from Killeen, Texas, according to arrest records.
On Tuesday, Myers was released from custody in California and promptly arrested by the Killeen Police Department.