Mother and Grandmother Arrested After 2-Year-Old Girl Is Caught on Camera Wandering Alone in the Woods By Ingrid Vasquez

A 2-year-old girl in Texas was found wandering alone in the woods on a game camera, leading to the arrests of her mother and grandmother.

The young child was spotted wandering alone in the woods around 3:00 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 5, through a property owner’s game camera, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release.

Deputies responded to the “deeply concerning call” around 6:00 a.m., when the homeowner observed footage showing the little girl “wearing only but a dress and no shoes.”

“With temperatures in the 40s, this little girl faced potential life-threatening danger at that hour,” the sheriff’s office said.

A search for the child immediately began. Meanwhile, a woman identified as Haley Peoples reported at 7:20 a.m. that her 2-year-old daughter had left their home earlier that morning.

The sheriff’s office alleged that Peoples found the 2-year-old outside at 4:15 a.m. but did not contact law enforcement for several hours despite an active search.

Upon their arrival at the home, deputies allege that they found “unsafe living conditions — including trash, soiled clothing, rotting food, rat droppings, and a heavy odor of urine.”

The 2-year-old was found “soiled,” prompting an EMS worker to request a medical evaluation. Police said that Peoples declined care and refused to change the 2-year-old’s clothing.

“Due to the hazardous conditions, refusal of medical care, and the severe risk posed to the child, deputies detained Peoples,” the sheriff’s office said.

The child’s grandmother, Rebecca Kelly, returned to the scene but left after being asked to wait for a supervisor, according to police.

According to the press release, deputies learned shortly afterward that Kelly had gone to an elementary school and attempted to remove the child’s three other siblings from class shortly before 9:00 a.m.

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“School staff reported she claimed CPS was arriving and told the children not to talk about the early-morning incident, calling it a ‘private family matter,’ ” police said. “This attempt to interfere with a child-safety investigation further endangered the siblings and obstructed lawful efforts to ensure their well-being.”

Kelly was detained at the school while the four children — who are all under the age of eight — were transported to the hospital for an evaluation.

Peoples was arrested for allegedly Abandoning/Endangering a Child – Imminent Danger of Bodily Injury, and Kelly was arrested on suspicion of Interference with Investigation of Abuse/Neglect. Both were booked into the Bexar County Jail.

Peoples was released from jail after posting a $50,000 bond, while Kelly was released from jail after posting a $7,500 bond, court records reviewed by PEOPLE show.

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PEOPLE reached out to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office for comment.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.