The mother of 2 children found chained and tied up like dogs in the backyard of a San Antonio home on Friday was located in California over the weekend.
San Antonio police discovered a 2-year-old boy chained to the ground and a 3-year-old girl tied to a back door with a dog leash after responding to a 911 call from a neighbor who reported hearing the children crying for a long time.
The boy had scarring and abrasions on his body. The little girl suffered a broken arm and wrist and she had signs of healed injuries from past abuse. Both children remain hospitalized.
Shortly after rescuing the 2 children outside, police found 6 more children, ages 10 months to 10 years, left unattended inside the home.
The single mother of the 6 children, Porucha Phillips, 34, (pictured above) was arrested upon returning to the home from an outing. She was charged with multiple counts of serious bodily injury to children and child abandonment. She remains jailed on $150,000 bail.
The sheriff’s dept. confirmed to KEN5 News that Phillips is pregnant with her seventh child.
The unidentified mother of the 2 children was not arrested by California authorities. She told police she left her 2 children in the care of Phillips in Texas.
Phillips’ 6 children were placed in foster care. A Texas Department of Family and Protective Services spokesperson told People.com the agency feared all of the children may be malnourished.
The public outpouring of grief and calls offering financial assistance have overwhelmed the sheriff’s department and the DFPS.
“People want to help these children,” said James Keith, of the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office. “[Now] they’re away from this abusive situation.”
He added: “These deputies are trained to handle tough situations. This was still a tough one. A lot of tears were shed, but it reminds you why we do what we do.”
Keith said those wishing to help the children should donate to local child abuse victim organizations.
Thanks to loyal reader Kanyade for the video link.
