LUBBOCK, Texas — Katherine Richardson, 31, was arrested after a police report said she “intentionally abandoned” her children on Sunday, according to a report from the Lubbock Police Department.
Police were called to an apartment complex the 2200 block of Mac Davis Lane at 11:11 p.m.
When officers arrived on scene, two young children were heard fighting inside the apartment, according to the report. An 11-year-old girl opened the door and told officers that it was just her and two siblings at home, the report stated.
According to the report, police found a 3-year-old and a 4-year-old child hiding in a bathroom cabinet. The report stated the 11-year-old child called her mother, Richardson, who was heard “yelling and cussing on the phone.”
According to the report, Richardson told police over the phone that she went to the nearby store and would be back in a few minutes. The older child told police that Richardson “usually leaves her and her siblings alone while she runs errands or goes to work.”
Police asked what schools the children attend, and the children said they were “home-schooled,” according to the report.
The apartment was described as dirty, with a limited amount of food or drinks. The police report detailed several hazards that could have left the children “seriously injured.”
Richardson was charged with three counts of abandoning a child and taken to the Lubbock County Detention Cener. The Lubbock County computer system was down Wednesday afternoon, so it was not known if Richardson remained at LCDC or if she was released on bond.
