SINTON, Texas —
The Sinton Police Department is investigating last week’s incident involving an 8-year-old non-verbal student who left school and was found on a busy roadway.
Xavier Perez left Sinton Elementary sometime Thursday afternoon. Perez’ mother, Jaime Perez, said the school’s interim principal told her staff members last saw her son in the gym during a physical education class.
Jaime Perez
Jaime Perez said her non-verbal son left Sinton Elementary Thursday afternoon and she wasn’t contacted about the incident until 40-minutes after he was found on a busy roadway.
Around 1:10 p.m., Xavier was captured by someone’s Blink camera wandering down the 600 block of East Merriman Street, a block away from the school.
Blink camera
A resident’s Blink camera captured Xavier Perez, 9, wandering down East Merriman Street in Sinton on Thursday around 1:10 p.m.
About 20 minutes later, Xavier was found on the 600 block of East Sinton Street, which is one of the town’s busiest roadways, according to Sinton Police.
Shane Rackley, KRIS 6 News
A witness told KRIS 6 News he was the boy skipping and then making his way across East Sinton Street.
Soon after, Sinton ISD placed the employees involved in the incident on administrative leave pending an investigation.
Perez said those employees include a teacher and two paraprofessionals.
KRIS 6 News contacted John Lennan, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, to ask whether Child Protective Services was investigating Thursday’s incident. Lennan wouldn’t provide us with specific information. He would only say his agency was investigating an incident that occurred within Sinton Independent School District.
On Friday morning, Sinton Police Chief Eric Blanchard told KRIS 6 News his team is looking into what happened that day and looking into whether anyone needs to be charged with endangering a disabled person, which is a state jail felony, punishable by up to two years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Shane Rackley, KRIS 6 News
Sinton Police Chief Eric Blanchard said his team will wrap up their criminal investigation into the Aug. 20 incident on Wednesday.
Blanchard said their investigation is ongoing and his team plans to wrap up their probe next Wednesday.
Once they’re done, they will present their findings to the San Patricio County District Attorney’s Office who will then determine whether there is enough evidence to pursue criminal charges.
Meanwhile, Perez said the school has installed a buzzer on the door that her son wandered out of.
She has her son wearing a tracking device that she can monitor through a smartphone app.
Perez said her son’s behavior has not returned to a normal state. He is still waking up in a panic. She said Xavier is also having issues when he arrives at school.
Non-verbal student, 9, leaves Sinton Elementary; found blocks away
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