A 12-year-old boy in Texas was left alone in an empty apartment after his mother and her boyfriend allegedly moved out without him. The boy’s mother, Erica Renee Sanders, and her boyfriend, Keven Dwayne Adams, were arrested on Friday following a call to the Copperas Cove police department. The boy had returned home from school to find his family and belongings gone, according to an arrest affidavit.
The boy sought help from a neighbor, showing them the vacant apartment. Upon the arrival of the police, the boy reportedly informed them that his mother and Adams had previously mentioned plans to move. However, he was not aware that the move would take place while he was at school.
Local authorities were able to reach Adams and Sanders via phone. The couple claimed that the boy’s uncle was supposed to pick him up, but they failed to provide any contact information for the uncle. When the police finally managed to contact the uncle, he expressed ignorance of any such arrangement.
Adams, during his conversation with the police, reportedly expressed frustration about Sanders’ son. The couple also refused to provide their current address when contacted by child protective services, according to the affidavit.
The neighbor who had initially helped the boy told the police that this was not the first time the couple had left the boy alone. He claimed that Sanders and Adams had previously kicked the boy out of their home.
Both Sanders and Adams have been charged with abandoning or endangering a child without intent to return. The Coryell County Sheriff’s Office has yet to confirm whether the couple remains in custody.