Nurse leaves 1-year-old in car while dining with husband, other kids, TX cops say

A woman employed full-time as a nurse left her 1-year-old child in an unlocked car while dining at a restaurant with the rest of her family, Texas authorities say.

The 29-year-old woman parked her vehicle at Mambo Seafood in Houston on Aug. 11 and left it running before going inside with her husband and other kids, according to court records.

A witness found the child alone in the unlocked car and began looking for a parent, according to investigators, who said police were called when the child’s mother was not found.

When police discovered the mother inside the restaurant, she said she was monitoring the toddler through a camera in the vehicle, according to the court documents.

She said she didn’t realize the vehicle was unlocked, authorities said. It had been more than an hour since she abandoned the child in the car, according to court documents.

The child was uninjured, authorities said.

Temperatures peaked at 97 degrees in Houston the day of the incident, according to National Weather Service data.

The mother was charged with a felony count of abandoning a child, court records show. She was also ordered to enroll in a parenting class within 30 days.

This story was originally published August 13, 2025 at 3:14 PM with the headline "Nurse leaves 1-year-old in car while dining with husband, other kids, TX cops say."