Children left by mother at fire station to remain in CPS custody

Young children will remain in the custody of Children's Protective Services

Jasmine Jones (KPRC)

HOUSTON – A woman accused of trying to leave two children at a Houston area fire station Monday claims she is being wrongfully accused.

The two children will remain in the custody of Children's Protective Services after neither the mother or the father showed up to Tuesday's emergency custody hearing.

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"That's all we were trying to do, help our kids out," Jasmine Jones said Monday.

Houston firefighters said Jones showed up at Station 73 with a 3-year-old boy and a 9-month-old boy. HFD Capt. Arthur DeLaGarza said Jones claimed the children's father wasn't helping care for them and she wanted to leave them at the station.

Firefighters said they told Jones they would have to call police because the law does not allow children that old to be dropped off. The "Baby Moses" law only allows parents of children 60 days or younger to be left at fire stations, hospitals or emergency medical stations.

Firefighters said Jones also claimed the 3-year-old boy was not her son. DeLaGarza said when Jones was informed police had to be called she tried to leave with the children. Firefighters said Jones left, but they would not allow her to take the children.

Firefighters said police eventually tracked down Jones at a near-by apartment complex. The entire family was then taken to the CPS center in southwest Houston.

"These allegations were made up," said Jones.

Outside the CPS center Jones said she is the mother of both children and she went to the fire station because the kids were in distress.

"We were just trying to get them help with their asthma," said Jones. "They're kids, they're babies and they had an asthma attack."

When asked why firefighters would make up a story about her trying to drop off the kids, Jones did not have a specific answer.

"We can't get in trouble, we were just helping the kids," said Jones.

CPS said the children appear to be in good health and they are still trying to track down their father.

DeLaGarza said a man Jones identified as the children's father was seen and heard yelling obscenities at her. DeLaGarza said the man never approached the fire station and left the area before police arrived.


About the Author:

Award winning investigative journalist who joined KPRC 2 in July 2000. Husband and father of the Master of Disaster and Chaos Gremlin. “I don’t drink coffee to wake up, I wake up to drink coffee.”