A grandfather is in jail after authorities say he left his grandkids at home without food or air conditioning on a day when temperatures reached over 98 degrees in Spring.
Kevin Turner, 53, was arrested on Monday and charged with endangering a child. He appeared in probable cause court on Wednesday.
The Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office said the kids are 9, 12, 13, 13, and 16 years old.
According to details revealed in court, Turner had custody of his daughter’s five children.
Deputies said they responded to a home in the 17400 block of Rolling Creek Drive at 3:54 a.m. on June 19 after a family member called for a welfare check.
Officials said — with the exception of Turner’s own room — the house didn’t have A/C and no food was found in the home. Turner’s room reportedly had two small fridges with food and a microwave, but he had a deadbolt on the door.
Investigators said the house was also roach infested.
It was revealed in court that Turner told deputies the house was dirty because the kids not were cleaning up like he told them to. He also reportedly told deputies he bought the kids a family pack of ramen to eat on Friday before deputies arrived on Monday.
“They found a roach infestation. The residence was hot due to the summer heat and there was no A/C. There was no food at the cabinets. The countertops appear that they had not been cleaned for quite some time. The officer asked how many children are at the residence. The witness stated that there were five but that her oldest son, identified as a 13-year-old, had gone to a grocery store to steal food for the other children.” a prosecutor said in court.
Pct. 4 said the kids were put into Child Protective Services custody and were taken to the hospital for treatment.