HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – A grandfather who was accused of leaving his five grandchildren home alone without food or running air conditioning amid hot temperatures in 2023 was granted deferred adjudication for three years on Friday.
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Kevin Turner was charged with one count of endangering a child for the June 2023 incident.
According to court documents, the decision was part of a plea agreement with the state. As part of the agreement, Turner was ruled ineligible to possess a firearm.
It happened at a home on Rolling Creek Drive near Spring. A woman called 911 with concerns about the kids’ welfare.
All five children were between the ages of 9 and 16.
“A couple of them went to a local food store and were caught stealing food inside the food store,” Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman said.
The children were estimated to have been alone for 24 hours. They appeared to feel unwell and deputies didn’t observe food or running air conditioning, Herman said.
“They were forbidden from running the air conditioning unless the grandfather was there,” he said. “The house is infested with roaches and just total trashy inside.”
Their grandfather, Turner, had custody of the children. He showed up at the home amid the investigation as deputies were talking to prosecutors about potential charges. Herman said they were instructed to take him into custody at that time based on the evidence.
Medics took the kids to Texas Children’s Hospital in The Woodlands where they were evaluated and treated by doctors.