In the early morning hours of Friday, December 5, a homeowner discovered troubling footage on a wildlife camera they had set up. The video showed a two-year-old girl wandering alone in the woods at 3 am, barefoot and wearing only a dress.
Alarmed by the situation, the homeowner contacted the police, who initiated a large search operation fearing for the child’s safety. However, before the search could progress significantly, the child was found.
Hayley Peoples, 21, later confessed to police that her daughter had wandered out of their home in the early hours, and she had located the child at 4:15 am but delayed reporting to authorities for several hours. Upon visiting Peoples’ residence in Texas, officials discovered unsanitary living conditions, including trash, soiled clothing, rotting food, rat droppings, and a strong urine odor. The child found at the house was also dirty.
Peoples refused assistance and declined to change her child’s clothing, prompting deputies to arrest her due to the hazardous environment and endangerment to the child. During the investigation, the child’s grandmother, Rebecca Kelly, briefly returned to the scene but left before speaking to a supervisor.
Following these events, it was revealed that Kelly had gone to a school to remove the child’s three siblings under the age of eight, instructing them to keep quiet about the incident. This interference with the child safety investigation led to Kelly’s detention at the school, while all four siblings were taken to the hospital for evaluation.
Peoples was charged with child abandonment, endangerment, and imminent bodily harm, while Kelly faced charges of obstructing the neglect inquiry. Both individuals were detained at the Bexar County Jail, with Peoples securing release on a $50,000 bond and Kelly on a $7,500 bail.
The Mirror has contacted the Bexar County Sheriff’s office for further comments on the matter.