A Texas mother left her 16-month-old child alone at home to travel 150 miles to another city, in hopes of meeting a man she met on the dating app Hinge.

Reese Louise Myers, 25, was arrested and charged this month for abandoning and endangering a child. 

Police allegedly found the toddler dangling out a window of an apartment, covered in feces.

A young mother left her toddler alone as she traveled to another city to meet a man from Hinge

Image credits: Law and Crime

Cops from the Killeen Police Department were notified of the concerning welfare of a child between the hours of 9 and 10 a.m. on July 28. 

“Officers were told that a child was hanging out near a broken window and an aggressive dog was trying to attack the child,” wrote the department’s statement.

“Upon the officers arrival, they observed a child protruding from the window that was repaired with a plexiglass sheeting and cardboard. It was not shattered.” 

Image credits: cottonbro studio/Pexels (Not an actual photo)

As they climbed through to help the boy, they saw he was only wearing a shirt, and his skin was covered in feces and what appeared to be a diaper rash.

Upon further inspection, the cops noticed there were two protective dogs in the apartment with the 16-month-old and that the parent had set up precautions around the house. 

According to Daily Mail, a baby gate was placed to block off the kitchen area and deadbolts were secured on doors and windows. 

Image credits: Anna Shvets/Pexels (Not an actual photo)

The child was immediately taken to a nearby hospital and subsequently placed in the custody of state Child Protective Services.

“Officers contacted the mother of the child, who advised that she was currently in San Antonio and had been there since the day before,” the statement continued.

Reese had reportedly gone to Alamo City, situated near San Antonio, to visit an unidentified man she had met on Hinge.

When police questioned Reese on why she had left her toddler alone, she said she’d made efforts to look for a caretaker

Image credits: Google Maps

The young mother claimed she had hired a babysitter she found on Facebook to look after her boy, but it was soon refuted when the babysitter in question revealed she hadn’t been in contact with Reese since last December.

She additionally showed her messages to authorities as proof.

Authorities demanded Reese return home. She initially refused but was finally caught on November 5 in California by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office.

Two weeks later, she was released from their custody before getting arrested again on the same day.

Image credits: Kindel Media/Pexels (Not an actual photo)

But it seems as if Reese’s behavior isn’t much of a surprise.

A former roommate, who lived with the 25-year-old and her son for a month back in October 2023, said she frequently neglected her child by leaving the house at night and not returning until the next day.

Reese’s excuse was that her kid often slept through the night without waking up.

If a parent frequently abandons their child, they may grow up with negative internalized messages

Image credits: Google Maps

Children tend to carry their heavy thoughts and trauma well into adulthood, as written by the CPTSD Foundation. They crave attention from their parents, so when they get abandoned, they may grow up fearful of losing the love of those they have in their lives.

This isn’t a mental illness, but rather a form of anxiety that can have devastating effects on whoever suffers from it. 

Abandonment issues can emerge during relationships and can include behaviors such as pushing people away to avoid rejection or requiring constant assurance that they are loved.

“That poor baby,” read one of the comments

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