Judge: No Reason To Charge Texas Mom Who Allegedly Put Son In Trunk To Avoid COVID Exposure
HOUSTON (CBSDFW.COM/CNN) - A judge has ruled there is no probable cause against a Texas mother who allegedly put her son in the trunk of the car to avoid being exposed to COVID-19.
Sarah Beam, 41, was charged with endangering a child after she allegedly placed her 13-year-old son, who had COVID, in the trunk to avoid being exposed while she went to a testing site, according to a warrant from the Harris County District Attorney's Office.
According to the warrant, the mother told authorities she wanted to prevent exposure to the virus while driving her son to the site for "additional testing."
On January 13 Judge Chris Morton ruled there was no probable cause for the charge.
Harris County District Attorney's Office spokesperson Dane Schiller said the office will continue to review the evidence and might take the case to a grand jury to see whether there is an appropriate charge. "We absolutely respect the judge's ruling, and we will continue with our work," Schiller said.
Beam's attorney, Nathaniel Pitoniak, said he had no comment.
Beam was charged after authorities arrived at a Houston-area COVID testing site on January 3 after a report that a health services official had found the child in trunk of her car. She was released from jail Sunday after making bail.
Beam is a teacher in the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District, which said earlier this week that she was on administrative leave.
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