Liberty County mother handed felony charges after hospital release, accused of attempting to drown 3 children in pond
The mother who was accused of attempting to drown her three children after giving them NyQuil is now facing felony charges nearly a month later.
The Liberty County mother who was accused of attempting to drown her three children after giving them NyQuil is now facing felony charges nearly a month later.
Jessica Quintana, 39, has now been charged with two counts of injury to a child causing bodily injury and one charge of assault causing bodily injury, according to Liberty County Sheriff’s Office. All three charges are felonies in the first degree.
MORE INFO: What we know about the near-drownings reported in Liberty County
Quintana was scheduled to be released from the hospital before noon on Friday. LCSO investigators waited at the facility for her to be discharged, and she was placed in custody at 10:07 a.m.
The situation stems from an incident that happened on Sept. 29, when deputies with LCSO found Quintana and the three children— two girls, ages 15 and 11, and a boy, age 6 — in or near the pond, located in the 9100 block of FM 1008 in Dayton at 6:13 a.m.
One of the children was unresponsive, so lifesaving measures were taken before they were rushed to hospitals.
There has been a lot of confusion with a story involving three children pulled from a pond in Liberty County. Deputies on Monday shared part of their investigation in a press release to clear any misunderstanding “or misinformation currently circulating in the community and on social media.”
OUR FIRST REPORT: Mother, three children pulled from pond in Liberty County
What Happened
Domingo Quintana called 911 and reported that his wife had given their children NyQuil infused with vodka before trying to drown them in a pond near their Dayton home. Investigators later confirmed there was no alcohol involved in the incident.
The day after the children and Jessica were rescued, Domingo was arrested on an unrelated animal cruelty charge after deputies said they found a “cat being kept in unsanitary and unsafe conditions inside the home.” He was released after posting a $5,000 bond.
RELATED: CPS has custody of kids in case where mother, three children pulled from pond in Liberty County
Days after Domingo’s arrest and released, KPRC 2 learned Lt. Ramiro Lozano, a Liberty police officer, was suspended pending an internal investigation.
The sheriff’s office confirmed Lozano is the one who picked Domingo up once he bonded out of jail. Before that, officials said he came up to the jail asking to speak to him, and he was granted access, but it is unclear who allowed this.
Meanwhile, Jessica Quintana was reported to be breathing on her own but stayed under medical care and supervision She also underwent a mental health evaluation and was not charged until her release on Oct. 24.
