SAN ANTONIO – A couple accused of leaving their four children alone Sunday night inside a near West Side home that later caught fire will not face any charges at this time. However, San Antonio police said they are still investigating the case. They also have called on Child Protective Services to conduct an investigation.
The children range in age from 4 months to 8 years old. Police said the 8-year-old was left Sunday night to care for her younger siblings -- a 2-year-old, 3-year-old and 4-month-old.
Fire broke out inside their home at the corner of West Craig Place and North Navidad Street around 8:30 p.m. Sunday. Firefighters were not able to save the contents of the home. The children, however, made it out safely, thanks to neighbors who rescued them, police said.
Monday morning, other neighbors expressed how glad they were that the children were safe. Tony Flores and his wife, Lucy, said they didn’t even realize anyone was at home at the time.
"We thought that (the family) went to see the Super Bowl with someone else,” Tony Flores said. "We thought that the kids were with their parents."
The couple gazed at the ruins across the street from their front porch while wondering aloud why someone would leave young children unsupervised.
"You're not supposed to leave the kids alone. I know that," Tony Flores said.
According to a preliminary police report, the parents told officers that they had left the children for about 45 minutes while they went to a gas station. They said they went to put gas in their car and left the 8-year-old in charge.
Although police decided not to file charges against the couple right now, an SAPD spokeswoman said that could change in the future, depending on the outcome of the investigation.