Babies found on Houston sidewalk with intoxicated mother in winter storm Enzo, say police
During a rare winter storm in the Houston area, local sheriff's deputies said Tuesday they found a seemingly drunk woman lying on a freezing sidewalk with her two small children.
On Tuesday morning, the Harris County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call about the woman and her children lying on the sidewalk in northwest Houston, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. The responding deputies determined that the children were two months old and one year old, according to the post.
Emergency responders arrived and "quickly rendered aid to the two babies who were suffering from cold-related injuries," according to Gonzalez. The mother, who deputies found an open alcoholic beverage near, showed signs of intoxication, he said.
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office was contacted by the sheriff's office and accepted charges of endangering a child on the mother, a spokesperson for the department told USA TODAY.
This morning, @HCSOTexas received a 911 call located at 12062 Veterans Memorial Drive. The caller reported an adult female and two babies were laying on the sidewalk. Deputies responded and determined the babies were 2.months old and 1 year old.
1/2 pic.twitter.com/gelXR9Ekyh— Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) January 21, 2025
How bad is the snow in Houston?
Snow is not common in Houston, but a "once in a generation" winter storm named "Enzo" lashing the Gulf Coast is the culprit behind this rare weather event, the National Weather Service said on Monday.
"This will be the most significant winter storm the Greater Houston area has experienced since at least 1960," the weather service in Houston said.
As of Tuesday morning, Houston accumulated about one to two inches of snow from the storm, which is far from the 20 inches the city saw during its biggest snowstorm in February 1895, The Weather Channel said.
"Since 1921, the biggest snow total they've seen is 3 inches set in January 1940 and again in February 1960," according to The Weather Channel.
"Unhoused" man found dead during winter storm in Houston
In addition to the woman and her children being found during the storm, Gonzalez said in another X post that an "unhoused man" was discovered dead in a restaurant parking lot on Tuesday morning. The man's death was "likely weather-related," according to the sheriff.
Houston remains under extreme cold watch until Tuesday night, officials said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Reportedly intoxicated mom found with babies on TX sidewalk amid Enzo