The Liberty County District Attorney says Jessica Quintana is facing felony charges tied to a September incident involving her children.
DAYTON, Texas — Investigators in Liberty County say a mother drugged her three children and led them into a pond in what authorities describe as an attempted murder-suicide.
Liberty County District Attorney Jennifer Bergman announced Monday that Jessica Quintana has been formally charged with multiple felonies. Bergman held a news conference to share updates and dispel misinformation in the high-profile case.
Quintana, 37, who was arrested on Friday, faces one count of attempted aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury to a family member with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony, and two counts of injury to a child causing serious bodily injury, both first-degree felonies.
The charges stem from an incident on Sept. 29, 2025, at the family’s residence on FM 1008 in the Dayton-Kenefick area of Liberty County. Liberty County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a 911 call reporting an attempted murder-suicide and found Quintana unresponsive in a pond along with her three children, ages 15, 11 and 6.
The 11-year-old girl was found unresponsive and in critical condition, while the two other children were conscious but clearly in distress. The children’s father, Domingo Quintana, pulled the children from the water. All three children have since recovered and are now in good condition, according to authorities.
According to the investigation, Jessica Quintana intentionally gave her children alcohol and NyQuil and encouraged them to consume the substances before entering the water together.
“We know they consume these substances based upon medical and toxicology records as well as information gathered from witnesses,” Bergman said.
Deputies recovered numerous empty NyQuil bottles, an empty tequila bottle and other evidence consistent with witness statements at the scene, according to the arrest affidavit.
Quintana’s teenage daughter told investigators her mother had two plans.
“Plan A was to pack their belongings and to leave the residence. Plan B was only to be enacted if they could not leave,” Bergman said.
Captain David Meyers with the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office previously said investigators believe “they pretty much went into the water together, and based on the evidence we have, the intent was that they would drown and not wake up.”
Quintana herself nearly drowned in the incident and spent nearly a month hospitalized at Memorial Hermann in Houston before being released and arrested on October 24.
“She drowned that morning,” Meyers said earlier. “I don’t know how long she’s been underwater, but I know she was unconscious and unresponsive when they pulled her out of the water.”
Addressing misinformation
Bergman used Monday’s press conference to address widespread speculation and misinformation surrounding the case, emphasizing that “every decision in this case has been guided solely by the evidence, not by rumors, speculation, or social media commentary.”
She specifically addressed claims circulating on social media about a law enforcement connection to the case. She mentioned an employee of another law enforcement agency who was the subject of media coverage since the near-drowning incident.
“He was not employed by the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office at this time, and he was not associated with this investigation in any manner,” Bergman said.
The district attorney also announced that the children’s father will not be charged with any crimes related to the alleged murder-suicide plot based on the facts and evidence uncovered to date. Domingo Quintana does face a separate, unrelated charge of cruelty to non-livestock animals after authorities found a domestic cat in poor condition and several malnourished animals at the family’s property, known as Rancho Monte Carmelo.
Children in CPS custody
The three children remain in Child Protective Services custody and are currently in foster care with relatives, according to investigators. They are not permitted to have contact with either parent at this time.
Specialists have already spoken with the children about the incident. When Quintana was taken into custody last Friday, Captain Meyers said she expressed a desire to be reunited with her children.
“You could tell she was worried. She’s concerned,” Meyers said. “And as far as everything, she basically told me she wants to get all of this behind her so she can be back with her kids and she misses her kids.”
Community impact
“The duty of a mother is to protect her children, to love them, and to keep them safe,” Bergman said during Monday’s announcement. “When this sacred type of duty is violated, it strikes the heart of a community and demands accountability under the law, and it oftentimes leaves us asking why.”
Bergman thanked the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Rangers, medical professionals at Memorial Hermann and Child Protective Services for their work on the case.
“They’ve all worked tirelessly and compassionately in this case,” she said.
Charging documents were filed Monday morning, and the case will be presented to a grand jury at a future date. Bergman could not provide additional details about the ongoing prosecution due to the involvement of minor children and the active nature of the case.
The Liberty County District Attorney’s Office, along with the Sheriff’s Office and Texas Rangers, continues to investigate the incident.
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