A toddler in only a diaper was found alone; his mother, Destiny Celaya, is charged with child endangerment.
SAN ANTONIO — A toddler was found wandering alone with only a diaper, and his mother, 24-year-old Destiny Celaya, bonded out of jail today.
Celaya now faces a charge for endangering a child. 24-year-old Destiny Celaya walked out of jail on a 50-thousand-dollar bond from the Bexar County jail today.
KENS 5 spoke to the woman who spotted the child in a far west side neighborhood.
Gabriella Rauhuff was doing what a mother of five does, driving her kids back and forth on a normal Tuesday morning.
Then, driving home in disbelief, she spotted a child all alone.
“I looked to my rear view mirror, then to the street in front of me, and then behind me because I’m like ‘there’s got to be someone,’” Rauhuff said.
While driving home, Rauhuff spotted the toddler between two mailboxes on Hollow Trail.
“He didn’t have shoes on, he didn’t have a shirt on…he was in nothing but a diaper, which I didn’t know was dirty until I put him in my son’s carseat.”
Overwhelmed with emotion, instinct kicked in as Rauhuff says the toddler cried out for his mom.
“I couldn’t imagine if my 3-year-old was out walking around looking for me and I didn’t know.”
“So I brought him home, he was happy, we changed him, he wanted his mom, he wanted to go home. “
According to investigators, Rauhuff called deputies just before 9:30. The boy’s mother didn’t report him missing until two and a half hours later.
The whole time, he was safe, playing with her children.
“I would’ve kept him until I knew he was where he needed to be and he was going to be safe, and that wouldn’t happen again.”
Living proof that a mother’s love is not a choice.
“And that’s all I’ve ever wanted to do is help…if they need anything…we’re here.”
Bexar County deputies say marijuana and paraphernalia were found in the boy’s home.
CPS told us tonight that the toddler and other children in the home have been taken to live with another family at this time.
If you know anyone who needs help or you need help yourself, there are resources.
Call the Texas Abuse Hotline (1-800-252-5400 tel:1-800-252-5400) if your situation is urgent and needs to be investigated within 24 hours.
Call 911 or your local law enforcement agency if you have an emergency or life-threatening situation that must be dealt with immediately.