HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — Three abandoned children and the skeletal remains of a possible fourth child were discovered in an apartment near Houston on Sunday, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez confirmed.
Heartbreaking. @HCSOTexas units are at an apt complex at 3535 Green Crest, near Addicks Clodine & Westpark Tollway. Units found three juveniles abandoned in an apartment. Skeletal remains, possibly of another juvenile, were also found inside the unit. #HouNews pic.twitter.com/uVcybOugM9
— Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) October 24, 2021
According to KHOU, deputies were called to the third-floor apartment to conduct a welfare check and found juveniles aged 15, 10 and 7, who had been living by themselves for “an extended period of time,” Gonzalez said.
Investigators said it’s most likely that the skeletal remains are those of a fourth sibling, and the eldest child appeared to have been attempting to care for the other children, KTRK reported.
Gonzales also said that he believes that the remains were inside the apartment for weeks and were deteriorating, KHOU reported.
“In our experience, it’s always best to not speculate and just let the investigation take its course, but (this is a) very disturbing set of circumstances, so we definitely want some answers for these children,” Gonzales said during a Sunday afternoon news conference.
The three children are now in the county’s custody, KTRK reported.
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