A woman wanted for driving while intoxicated reportedly abandoned her 3-year-old child while evading officers on foot Wednesday.
Warrant deputies with the Ector County Sheriff’s Office were attempting to serve 28-year-old Graciela Chapa at a residence in the 1600 block of Sunset Boulevard at about 10 a.m. Wednesday, an ECSO news release stated.
The warrant was for a failure to appear on a DWI with a child under the age of 15 in the vehicle.
While officers were at the residence to serve the warrant, Chapa climbed out of a back window, crawled over a fence and ran on foot, the release stated.
Chapa had her child, a 3-year-old boy, with her while she evaded officers and reportedly left him in a boat that was in an open field about five houses east of her residence. Officers arriving to assist spotted the child standing up in the boat crying, the release stated.
Officers immediately took the child out of the boat and cared for him while other officers continued to search for Chapa. She eventually returned to her residence where she was arrested, the release stated.
Chapa was charged with evading on foot, endangering a child, child endangerment and the original warrant for failure to appear on a DWI with a child under the age of 15 in the vehicle.
The child was turned over to Child Protective Services, the release stated.
Jail records show Chapa remained in custody as of Thursday afternoon with bonds totaling $76,000.
