9-year-old skeletal remains found: Neighbors say they’d feed 15-year-old who was abandoned with brothers in Harris Co. apartment

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — A residing nightmare has been unfolding inside an condo in southwest Harris County, with darkish, twisted secrets and techniques together with a 9-year-old’s useless physique, his brothers left to fend for themselves and his mother and father nowhere to be discovered.

On Sunday, the Harris County Sheriff’s Workplace mentioned a 15-year-old boy on the CityParc II at West Oaks Flats known as and mentioned his brother had been useless for a yr within the room subsequent to his. He additionally advised deputies that his mother hasn’t been again in months, leaving him and his two different brothers, ages 7 and 10, alone.

Earlier than calling for assist, the 15-year-old texted his mother to inform her he couldn’t take it anymore, ABC13 has discovered.

SEE MORE: No charges filed, mother and boyfriend released after 9-year-old found dead and kids were abandoned

“The primary time I noticed him, he was sleeping on one of many slides,” mentioned neighbor Erica Chapman.

Neighbors mentioned the 15-year-old relied on them for meals. Chapman mentioned she knew one thing was mistaken as a result of his mom was hardly ever house, so she began giving him meals six months in the past.

“She would come and park, and he would run down and seize noodles, drinks and chips and run again up,” Chapman mentioned.

Chapman mentioned the teenager would not settle for cooked meals. He would solely take packaged snacks, fruit and pizza.

In the meantime, ABC13 discovered the mom and her boyfriend lived in an condo simply quarter-hour away in Westchase. On Monday, after the couple was questioned and launched by the Harris County Sheriff’s Workplace, ABC13 bumped into the couple. They rolled up their window and shortly drove off.

WATCH: Mother who deserted 4 sons in Harris Co. condo launched by authorities

“We see them come and go,” mentioned neighbor Tanieka, who solely needed her first identify used. “We by no means noticed any youngsters. None.”

Tanieka mentioned the mom and her boyfriend lived in a unit downstairs and have been steadily seen by neighbors. She estimated they’ve been residing there since January or February.

Again on the condo complicated the place the boys lived with their brother’s corpse, one other neighbor, Trevor Thompson, mentioned he would additionally present the teenager with meals. He described the teenager as paranoid and mentioned he was afraid of getting poisoned, which is why he would solely settle for sure meals.

“A couple of occasions I observed the lights weren’t on, and it was quiet upstairs, so I figured there was hassle as a result of the mother and father have not been there shortly,” Thompson mentioned. “Sooner or later, he got here right here and knocked on the door and requested if he may use the charger, and we constructed a bond from there. I began providing him meals as a result of I knew he wanted greater than only a charger.”

What each Thompson and Chapman have been unaware of was the secrets and techniques and horror occurring contained in the condo. They did not even know there have been two different brothers residing there.

Thompson mentioned he as soon as requested how the pizza he received him was.

“I requested, ‘Did you just like the pizza?’ And he requested, ‘What? The primary pizza we had?'” Thompson mentioned. “That made me surprise why would he say, ‘We.'”

Chapman thinks the 15-year-old saved his different two brothers a secret out of concern.

“After discovering out what occurred [Sunday], I feel he was extra nervous and scared,” Chapman mentioned. “Are they going accountable me for this? Are my mother and father going to punish me for this? Perhaps his mother and father advised him they’d be separated if he advised anybody.”

Each neighbors mentioned they by no means known as authorities as a result of they did not perceive the magnitude of the scenario. They mentioned the 15-year-old saved to himself and was quiet and did not reply many questions.

“I did not wish to push him away by asking questions as a result of I knew he was ravenous and wanted meals,” Chapman mentioned.

Alief ISD confirmed to ABC13 that in 2019 and 2020, the varsity district filed truancy papers in opposition to the mom. Two of her youngsters apparently failed to indicate as much as college. District officers mentioned the youngsters have been final enrolled in Could of 2020. Officers weren’t instantly sure how most of the youngsters have been college students within the district. The pandemic has made issues worse for susceptible youngsters, in accordance with Bob Sanborn, president and CEO of Kids at Threat.

“It was very straightforward for these children to fall by way of the cracks,” Sanborn mentioned. “Texas has all the time relied on lecturers to be that line of first protection for baby abuse and these children by no means received to that place the place a instructor may determine what was occurring with them, or start an investigation, or alert CPS or others to what was occurring.”

In accordance with the sheriff’s workplace, all three boys have been taken to the hospital, the place medical doctors mentioned they have been malnourished with accidents. The 7-year-old had facial fractures, sources mentioned. Harris County Sheriff investigators say they’re ready for post-mortem outcomes to come back in earlier than submitting prices.

The Texas Division of Household and Protecting Companies is in search of emergency custody of the three boys. A spokeswoman confirmed CPS has a historical past with the household however there was no lively investigation on the time they have been discovered.

SEE MORE: 9-year-old has been dead inside SW Houston apartment for a year, 3 other kids were abandoned: HCSO