Houston Area Teacher Charged With Locking Son In Trunk To Avoid COVID-19 Exposure
HOUSTON (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — A Houston area mother was charged with felony child endangerment after she allegedly placed her 13-year-old son in the trunk of her car to isolate him after he tested positive for COVID-19, then took him to a drive-through testing site.
The 41-year-old woman is charged with endangering a child after authorities allege her son was found on Monday, Jan 3 in her car's trunk at a testing site for the Cypress-Fairbanks school district in northwest Houston.
KTRK-TV in Houston reported that Sarah Beam has been identified as the suspect.
Beam had taught for the district since 2011. KTRK reported that she has been placed on administrative leave by the district following the incident. The district also added that the child was not harmed.
The mother told a the CISD director of health services that she put her son in the trunk to prevent her from getting exposed to COVID-19 while taking him for additional testing.
The health worker asked Beam to let them see the child, who, when the trunk was unlatched, was lying down inside. The worker then told Beam no testing would be done until the child moved into the back seat of the vehicle.
Law enforcement was called to the scene and conducted an investigation that led to the charges against Beam. It's not immediately known if she was taken into custody in the aftermath of the incident.
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