Infant twins were discovered stranded and alone in the state of Texas after their intoxicated mother crashed her vehicle through multiple barricades, deputies said.
According to the Harrison County Sheriff's Office, 26-year-old Fantasia Martinez was charged for allegedly abandoning her six-month-old twins, including one infant, discovered alone in her crashed car just off Interstate 20 on Tuesday, June 14.
Department officials said in an earlier post that police dispatchers received dozens of calls at 9:45 p.m. regarding a woman walking in the eastbound lanes of traffic. Marshall native Martinez appeared to be inebriated and possibly under the influence of narcotics but told deputies that her car had broken down with both of her young kids still inside the vehicle.
Infant twins found safe by deputies after frantic search
Deputies then detained Martinez for her safety as her vehicle was located nearby. According to sheriff officials, the car, which was still running after crashing into a tree, appeared to have plowed through multiple road barricades and had an infant in the backseat.
A deputy broke one of the vehicle's windows to rescue the baby, prompting Martinez to break out of police custody briefly. Authorities said that once she was detained again, Martinez started asking about her second infant.
Two infant car seats were found inside Martinez's totaled vehicle. The second infant was located about 35 minutes later after investigators received an address near the crash site where Martinez had recently moved.
Sheriff officials issued a statement, saying, "Deputies responded to that address, forced entry, locating the second infant alone and uninjured." Child welfare officials took both kids into custody late on Tuesday.
Sheriff Brandon Fletcher said that it is heartbreaking to know that some children have to live in these conditions, but he is glad no lives were lost. Martinez is currently being held at the Harrison County Jail, according to the New York Post.
Investigators charged her with two counts of abandoning or endangering a child, driving while intoxicated with a child passenger, escaping, and resisting arrest/transport. It is unclear if Martinez has hired an attorney who could speak on her behalf.
Search for the vehicle and the twins lasted 35 minutes
Investigators said she appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and possibly narcotics due to her erratic behavior and difficulty making complete sense of the situation. Martinez had told deputies that both of her children were still in the vehicle. Because of the car's proximity to the interstate, the situation for troopers and deputies escalated concern for the welfare of the children.
According to Fox 46, several agencies joined in on a detailed and methodical search that lasted roughly 35 minutes and included around 60 first responders. One Texas deputy suffered heat exhaustion during the search and was treated on-scene.
