Tragic: Two Texas Mothers Charged With Neglect of 6 Kids All Under 10

As a mother of two, this story really made me sick.

I know parenting can wear you out, but there's never a good excuse for abuse or neglect.

We may not know the why, but there really isn't any reasonable explanation for what happened, and how things got to the point where Texas authorities had to step in and save six kids from neglect and child endangerment.

Living in 'Filth and Squalor'

KRPC2 is reporting that Riccy Padilla-Hernandez and Yures Molina of Houston have been charged for abandoning their six children and leaving them in horrific conditions.

The children are all under the age of 10, and were found covered in dirt and lice.

Molina’s 1-year-old son was found inside the home, and according to investigators, the infant was so hungry he was eating his own feces that covered his crib.

Padilla-Hernandez’s children were 2, 3, and 7 years old, and Molina’s children were ages 1, 8, and 9.

Authorities said one of Padilla-Hernandez's children has special needs and cannot care for himself in any way.

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Toddler Wandering Near Pool

A maintenance man said he found Padilla-Hernandez’s 2-year-old daughter by an apartment swimming pool. He called police and described the child he found as being dirty, barefoot, and appearing to be unsupervised.

The little girl’s older brother was found as well, and he led police back to an apartment with four other children. While police were on the scene, Padilla-Hernandez returned.

Her excuse?

She claimed she was “doing her taxes” when she left the residence without any supervision for the children. Molina was not there when investigators were at the complex.

Both women were charged with a felony and released after posting $15,000 bond each. Child protective services have taken the children into custody.

If You See Something, Say Something

If you need to report abuse or neglect, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services has a toll-free hotline that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The number is 1-800-252-5400.

According to Texas law, if you have reasonable cause to believe a child, person 65 or older, or an adult with disabilities is being abused, neglected, or exploited, you must report it to DFPS.

Anyone who reports abuse in good faith is immune from civil or criminal liability, and the name of the person making the report is kept confidential.