12-Year-Old Left Home Alone After Parents Move Out While He Was at School

A Texas mom is facing serious charges after allegedly moving out of her apartment while her 12-year-old son was at school—without telling him.

Erica Renee Sanders has been charged with felony child endangerment after authorities say she packed up her Copperas Cove apartment and left it empty while her son was at school on Friday, Oct. 17, according to a complaint obtained by PEOPLE.

The boy reportedly arrived home from the school bus to find the apartment completely bare. Officers described the unit as “empty” and “completely barren,” and the child confirmed that it had looked normal when he left that morning.

A neighbor told police that Sanders and her boyfriend, Keven Dwyane Adams, had a history of kicking the boy out, and officers noted there had been ongoing tension between the couple and the child. The boy also said he had heard the adults mention moving at some point, but he was never told when.

Adams later told police that Sanders “had not abandoned” her son, but that he was no longer welcome in their home. Sanders claimed her brother—her son’s uncle—was supposed to pick him up from school, but she refused to provide contact details. Hours passed before the boy was finally taken into Adams’ custody, after police had to track the family down using utility records.

Both Sanders and Adams were arrested, and Sanders now faces a third-degree felony charge for intentionally abandoning a child under 15 without intent to return. The case has been forwarded to the prosecutor’s office for review.

Authorities involved in the case alerted Child Protective Services, and the boy was eventually released into Adams’ care while the investigation continues.