Neighbors fed abandoned children in apartment

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- A surviving nightmare has been unfolding wrong an flat successful southwest Harris County, with dark, twisted secrets including a 9-year-old's dormant body, his brothers near to fend for themselves and his parents obscurity to beryllium found.

On Sunday, the Harris County Sheriff's Office said a 15-year-old lad astatine the CityParc II astatine West Oaks Apartments called and said his member had been dormant for a twelvemonth successful the country adjacent to his. He besides told deputies that his ma hasn't been backmost successful months, leaving him and his 2 different brothers, ages 7 and 10, alone.

Before calling for help, the 15-year-old texted his ma to archer her helium could not instrumentality it anymore, ABC13 has learned.

SEE MORE: No charges filed, parent and fellow released aft 9-year-old recovered dormant and kids were abandoned

"The archetypal clip I saw him, helium was sleeping connected 1 of the slides," said neighbour Erica Chapman.

Neighbors said the 15-year-old relied connected them for food. Chapman said she knew thing was incorrect due to the fact that his parent was seldom home, truthful she started giving him nutrient six months ago.

"She would travel and park, and helium would tally down and drawback noodles, drinks and chips and tally backmost up," Chapman said.

Chapman said the teen wouldn't judge cooked meals. He would lone instrumentality packaged snacks, effect and pizza.

Meanwhile, ABC13 learned the parent and her fellow lived successful an flat conscionable 15 minutes distant successful Westchase. On Monday, aft the mates was questioned and released by the Harris County Sheriff's Office, ABC13 ran into the couple. They rolled up their model and rapidly drove off.

WATCH: Mom who abandoned 4 sons successful Harris Co. flat released by authorities

"We spot them travel and go," said neighbour Tanieka, who lone wanted her archetypal sanction used. "We ne'er saw immoderate children. None."

Tanieka said the parent and her fellow lived successful a portion downstairs and were often seen by neighbors. She estimated they person been surviving determination since January oregon February.

Back astatine the flat analyzable wherever the boys lived with their brother's corpse, different neighbor, Trevor Thompson, said helium would besides supply the teen with food. He described the teen arsenic paranoid and said helium was acrophobic of getting poisoned, which is wherefore helium would lone judge definite food.

"A fewer times I noticed the lights weren't on, and it was quiescent upstairs, truthful I figured determination was occupation due to the fact that the parents haven't been determination successful a while," Thompson said. "One day, helium came present and knocked connected the doorway and asked if helium could usage the charger, and we built a enslaved from there. I started offering him nutrient due to the fact that I knew helium needed much than conscionable a charger."

What some Thompson and Chapman were unaware of was the secrets and fearfulness happening wrong the apartment. They didn't adjacent cognize determination were 2 different brothers surviving there.

Thompson said helium erstwhile asked however the pizza helium got him was.

"I asked, 'Did you similar the pizza?' And helium asked, 'What? The archetypal pizza we had?'" Thompson said. "That made maine wonderment wherefore would helium say, 'We.'"

Chapman thinks the 15-year-old kept his different 2 brothers a concealed retired of fear.

"After uncovering retired what happened [Sunday], I deliberation helium was much tense and scared," Chapman said. "Are they going to blasted maine for this? Are my parents going to punish maine for this? Maybe his parents told him they would beryllium separated if helium told anyone."

Both neighbors said they ne'er called authorities due to the fact that they didn't recognize the magnitude of the situation. They said the 15-year-old kept to himself and was quiescent and didn't reply galore questions.

"I didn't privation to propulsion him distant by asking questions due to the fact that I knew helium was starving and needed food," Chapman said.

Alief ISD confirmed to ABC13 that successful 2019 and 2020, the schoolhouse territory filed truancy papers against the mother. Two of her children seemingly failed to amusement up to school. District officials said the kids were past enrolled successful May of 2020. Officials were not instantly definite however galore of the children were students successful the district. The pandemic has made matters worse for susceptible children, according to Bob Sanborn, president and CEO of Children astatine Risk.

"It was precise casual for these kids to autumn done the cracks," Sanborn said. "Texas has ever relied connected teachers to beryllium that enactment of archetypal defence for kid maltreatment and these kids ne'er got to that spot wherever a teacher could place what was going connected with them, oregon statesman an investigation, oregon alert CPS oregon others to what was happening."

According to the sheriff's office, each 3 boys were taken to the hospital, wherever doctors said they were malnourished with injuries. The 7-year-old had facial fractures, sources said. Harris County Sheriff investigators accidental they are waiting for autopsy results to travel successful earlier filing charges.

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services is seeking exigency custody of the 3 boys. A spokeswoman confirmed CPS has a past with the household but determination was nary progressive probe astatine the clip they were found.

SEE MORE: 9-year-old has been dormant wrong SW Houston flat for a year, 3 different kids were abandoned: HCSO