A Hobbs woman was arrested Sunday on a felony charge after Hobbs police found her five-year-old son “wandering” in a neighborhood unattended on multiple occasions.
Yesenia Flores, 35, was arrested and charged with abandonment or abuse of a child, a third-degree felony.
On Sunday, officers responded to two separate calls regarding a young boy wandering the neighborhood unattended, without shoes, in the afternoon heat. The reporting person knew the child to live on the 900 block of South Thorp. That is where officers contacted Flores and advised her that she needed to be aware of her son’s whereabouts.
At approximately 5:41 p.m. on Sunday, officers received a third call regarding the boy being at a residence on South Main Street. The reporting person advised the young boy is oftentimes playing throughout the neighborhood well into the night without supervision.
Officers escorted the boy home again, and made contact with Flores. Officers asked if Flores had any other children to which she responded she had an eight-year-old daughter who was playing at a friend’s house. When the officers went to that residence, the owners responded they had not seen the girl that day. Another child indicated the daughter often played at another home in the neighborhood and directed officers there, where she was located.
According to the officers, Flores never showed any distress or concern when contacted about the welfare of her children. It was then that Flores was taken into custody and charged. Arresting officers felt there were several reasons that led to the arrest: The five-year-old was found unattended on three separate occasions in one day. He was located out of immediate line of sight of his mother without her knowledge and her lack of responsibility or concern. At the child was located without shoes in hot temperatures.
The Children, Youth and Families Department was contacted and the children were released to a family member.