“I JUST NEEDED TO GO OUT”!!! BELIEVE IT OR NOT, AUTHORITIES SAY A TEXAS MOTHER LEFT HER THREE-YEAR-OLD CHILD ALONE AT AN APARTMENT TO GO TO BARS WITH A FRIEND… AND SHE HAS NOW BEEN INDICTED ON A FELONY CHARGE.
A grand jury in Taylor County, Texas, has returned an indictment against a local mother.
Justice Lee Moncibaiz, of Tye, Texas, is accused of child abandonment.
The formal charge filed against her is abandoning a child with intent to return.
According to court documents and reporting by KTXS, the case originates from an incident in September 2025.
The incident took place at an apartment complex on Hartford Street in Abilene.
Neighbors at the property made the initial discovery.
They reportedly found a 3-year-old child sitting outside completely unattended.
The toddler was sitting alone at the bottom of an outdoor staircase.
Neighbors contacted the Abilene Police Department.
Officers arrived at the apartment complex to investigate.
Police said the child was wearing a soiled diaper when found.
Responding officers began searching the immediate area for the child’s residence.
They located an unlocked apartment unit nearby.
Officers believed the unlocked apartment was where the child lived.
Police stepped inside to look for a guardian.
No adults were inside.
And investigators discovered mail addressed to Moncibaiz inside the residence.
Authorities subsequently contacted Moncibaiz.
But police said she did not return right away.
Investigators stated that she did not arrive back at the complex until approximately 40 minutes later.
Officers questioned Moncibaiz about the unattended child.
According to investigators, Moncibaiz initially offered an explanation involving another caregiver.
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She told officers she had left the child in the care of a relative.
But she was unable to provide police with any contact information for that person.
The police investigation continued.
Several days later, investigators conducted a follow-up interview with Moncibaiz.
During that questioning, her explanation changed.
Police said Moncibaiz admitted she “needed a night out.”
She admitted that she had gone out with a friend.
Moncibaiz told investigators she had gone to a couple of bars.
Authorities say she had left her 3-year-old child alone in the apartment to do so.
Then police placed Moncibaiz under arrest.
She was formally charged with abandoning a child with intent to return.
A Taylor County grand jury later indicted her on the charge.
The statutory definition is outlined under Section 22.041 of the Texas Penal Code.
Under Texas law, child abandonment occurs when an individual with custody, care, or control intentionally abandons a child.
The statute applies when the abandonment exposes the child to an unreasonable risk of harm.
When an alleged abandonment is committed with the intent to return, the law classifies the offense as a state jail felony.
A state jail felony in Texas carries specific penalties upon conviction.
The charge is punishable by 180 days to two years in a state jail facility.
A court may also impose a fine of up to $10,000.
Moncibaiz has been indicted by the grand jury.
An indictment is not a conviction.
She is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The charges are allegations and have not been proven in court.
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