EAGLE PASS, Texas – An investigation into a 2-year-old child left unattended inside a local daycare van for about four hours has led to the arrests of two Eagle Pass women.
According to the Eagle Pass Police Department, the investigation began in May 2026 following the incident.
On Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, 33-year-old Jajaira Maria Hernandez and 46-year-old Samaria Denise Jimenez, both of Eagle Pass, were taken into custody without incident during a joint operation involving the Eagle Pass Police Department Criminal Investigations Division, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Texas Department of Public Safety, including its Criminal Investigations Division.
Hernandez is charged with abandoning or endangering a child, a state jail felony, and tampering with physical evidence, a third-degree felony, police said. She was presented before a magistrate and remanded to the Tom Bowles Detention Center in lieu of a $50,000 combined bond.
Jimenez is charged with tampering with physical evidence, a third-degree felony, and failure to report a felony, a Class A misdemeanor, police said. She was presented before a magistrate and remanded to the Tom Bowles Detention Center in lieu of a $40,000 combined bond.
Police said the incident will be referred to the appropriate prosecuting agency for review and prosecution. Information from the investigation will also be forwarded to the appropriate state licensing and regulatory agencies for further review and any action deemed appropriate for the local day care center.
The Eagle Pass Police Department said it is acknowledging the cooperation and assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service and the Texas Department of Public Safety during the investigation and apprehension.
“All persons arrested or accused of a criminal offense are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law,” the department said in its media release dated Aug. 29, 2026.