Midland police identify individual known as Cordarius, mother arrested
MIDLAND (CBSNewsTexas.com) - Law enforcement officials have identified the individual known as 'Cordarius,' who was believed to be a teenager with an intellectual disability.
Found alone, dirty and disheveled in a Texas alley on a cold winter day this year, efforts to identify Cordarius' birth family were hampered by his inability to communicate. He didn't know sign language either when police found him near the intersection of Ward and Shandon Avenue.
Now he has a full name, and a mother -- Charlotte Latasha Pegues of Midland -- who was arrested. The 47-year-old was charged with exploitation of a disabled individual.
Police announced on Aug. 21 that Cordarius Lashun Pegues is 24-years-old. They credit nationwide concern and media spotlight with helping them identify him.
"Officials with the City of Midland, the Midland Police Department, and all agencies involved, would like to thank everyone for their overwhelming support and help," a press release stated. "A special thank you to the news media in helping to elevate the story of Cordarius to a national level."