ODESSA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- An Odessa woman was arrested late last week after police said she left her young children home alone for at least 45 minutes. 38-year-old Juliet Uhegbu is facing two counts of Child Abandonment/Endangerment.
According to an affidavit, on May 19, officers with the Odessa Police Department responded to a “glass break” alarm at a home on E 50th Street. At the scene, officers found no signs of forced entry, but tried to speak with homeowners just to make sure everything was ok inside the home.
An officer stated he could hear a television and children inside the home, but that no one answered the door when he knocked. After about 15 minutes, the officer called the number provided by the alarm company, but no one answered the phone. Eventually, Uhegbu’s husband returned the call and said his wife should be home with their twin boys. A short time later, the dad called the officer back and said his wife was on her way home.
When Uhegbu arrived home, she told officers she left her kids at home so she could go buy some medicine. She said she had only been gone for 15 to 20 minutes, but officers stated they had been at the scene for 45 minutes. Uhegbu reportedly said she left her kids home alone because she wasn’t going far away and wouldn’t be gone for too long.
Uhegbu was taken to the Ector County Law Enforcement Center where she was later released on a combined $6,000 bond.