Toddler found wandering streets half nude, teen mom jailed

By MICHAEL RODRIGUEZ
Managing Editor
editor@sbnewspaper.com

Alexis Marissa Mares

Alexis Marissa Mares

A teenage mom from San Benito was arrested Sunday for abandoning or endangering a child, this after her 2-year-old son was found wandering city streets wearing only a muscle shirt.

Detective Rogelio Banda Jr. of the San Benito Police Department, citing a news release prepared by Det. David Rodriguez, said police were notified of the incident on April 21.

According to the release, at approximately 9:31 a.m. police were called to the area of S. Milam and E. Brooks Street in reference to the child found walking unsupervised.

“The officer arrived in the area and was flagged down by a female who pointed to the child standing in the alley only wearing a white muscle shirt,” the release read. “The officer asked the child where his mommy was and he said his mommy and daddy were sleeping and pointed east.”

Specifically, Banda said the child was found barefooted without any underwear on, just the muscle shirt.

It wasn’t until police went door-to-door searching for the parents that the child’s mother, identified as 18-year-old Alexis Marissa Mares, was located at a residence on the 500 block of S. McCullough Street. Mares, who resides with her parents, was arrested for abandoning or endangering a child and transported to city jail. She currently remains incarcerated on $5,000 bond set by Municipal Court Judge Benjamin Yudesis.

Although there were other family members in the household, Banda explained that Mares was arrested because caring for the child “was her responsibility.” Police further reported that the father was not present at the home and confirmed that Mares is a single mother.

It also remains unclear how the 2-year-old managed to exit the home.

“We have not determined how the child got out or if the door was locked or not,” Banda said.

Child Protective Services have been notified of the incident and released the 2-year-old to his grandparents.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.sbnewspaper.com/2013/04/22/toddler-found-wandering-streets-half-nude-teen-mom-jailed/

10 comments

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  1. Man you must live way back in the woods some where?

    • Juan on April 25, 2013 at 7:27 pm
    • Reply

    Debbie; another bleeding heart story,we seem to hear them all the time,be it a kid pulling a fire alarm,as a joke,or some kid letting her child run around in the streets,while she watchs the tube,or does perhaps worse,who knows.All these people that are being brought out can’t all be victims of chance and circumstances,a bunch of them,if not all of them are doing wrong,up to no good.Just look at the national scene,can you rationally blow off all this hog wash,wake up,take responsibility for your actions.The game’s about up girl,live in the real world.

    • Debbie on April 24, 2013 at 10:51 pm
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    Just fyi before you judge her she is not on welfare period..she is a single mother going to college caring not only for her son but her two siblings. Do not assume or jump to conclusion because you believe what you hear.what gives you the right to judge someone for their mistake you dont know about?? Until you have actually talked and got to know her please dont judge her for her mistake

    1. It’s called the school of hard knocks or the university of life. .

    • Pepe Roni on April 24, 2013 at 6:40 pm
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    Mr. James Dillion, based on your comment, you appear to be a well-educated, well-versed individual.

    However, when you say “I once overheard a student….”, you are exercising the art of hearsay (the report of another person’s words by a witness, usually disallowed as evidence in a court of law).

    Sort of like me saying “I once heard Chris and Liz say James Dillion is not his real name and he voted twice for senor Barack Obama at the last presidential election”. Sounds absurd doesn’t it? Of course you would never vote for a Democratic candidate. You throw out statements as if they are fact-driven when you provide no valid documented proof (example…San Benito is one huge barrio on welfare).

    Unless you provide proof of fact to your statements, you are nothing more than a “judgmental chismoso”, inclined to make judgments, especially moral or personal ones.

    • Fedup on April 24, 2013 at 4:37 pm
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    James Dillion, you stated that I sound young and naive, even though I specifically stated that I was in a higher tax bracket for decades. But alas, I will gladly accept your compliment.

    I too once overheard a young well educated man, as he was conversing with his peers, state that “Not all Republicans are Racist, but all racist are are Republicans. . Now does this make the student’s statement a true statement? Similar to the High School student scenario you presented, you do what you want with the statements you overhear.

    As to your question as to whether I know what encompasses a culture, I would have to answer that I certainly do, being that I have not only traveled to, but have resided in NINE different countries. I have personally witnessed the best and worst of cultures that exist. So in essence I would have to say that I most certainly do know what encompasses a culture.

    Calling my beloved city a poster child for welfare is certainly within your realm, but we do live in an area with one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation. All this being said, I go back to my original question of why someone has to automatically assume that this single mother is on food stamps and watching the Maury show. Maybe it’s your turn to enlighten us Mr Dillion. Maybe she is, maybe she isn’t, but I would never stoop as low as you did by calling someone I don’t even know “another example of the human wasteland”.

    God help us all.

    P.S. @ RSB, thank you for the kind words sir, I feel your pain amigo.

    • Reform San Benito on April 24, 2013 at 10:44 am
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    Fedup, thank you very much! Their comments made me sick when I first read them very early this morning but it was too early for even me to express my displeasure (imagine that!). Whether or not Ms. Mares is on public assistance is not an issue. Not sure how anyone can deduce this woman’s economic status from this article, though. Maybe these two have firsthand knowledge and can speak of her economic and political slant because they conversed with her in line at the public assistance office. That’s probably the case.

    • Fedup on April 23, 2013 at 9:12 pm
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    Seems like Chris & Liz have financial or cultural information on this single mother, and her parents with whom she resides with. This is panethnic identifying and stereotyping at it’s finest.

    Why are you assuming she is an Obama supporter, is it because you know for a fact that she is in the 47% bracket? And the comment about watching the Maury show to find out who her Daddy is comes at no surprise. I thank God for the wonderful blessings he has provided me and my family. And trust me, I have been on an extremely high tax bracket for decades, I am grateful that my tax dollars have been able to assist some families.

    Am I saying the welfare system is just and correct, certainly not, and should someone be held accountable for endangering this child’s life, by all means. But lets don’t go around lumping or branding individuals, it does it behoove us to do so.

    Sin Fin

    • Liz on April 23, 2013 at 7:36 pm
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    Amen Chris.

    • Chris on April 22, 2013 at 8:23 pm
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    Another Obama supporter, kicking back having babies, getting free food and medical care while the rest of us work to pay our taxes so she can watch Maury to find out who the baby daddy is.

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