Mom Accused of Leaving Kids Found In Jail

Woman will not be charged with abandoning kids.

A homeless mother who disappeared after leaving her three children Monday in the care of another homeless woman was located Thursday inside the Lew Sterrett Justice Center in Dallas.

Ann Hester, 25, was arrested Monday night in downtown Dallas on accusations that she bit an officer while fighting with police on Pacific Avenue.

"Officers were in the process of arresting two other gentlemen on suspicion that they might have drugs," Sr. Cpl. Janice Crowther said.

Earlier that day, Hester left her children, who are all under the age of 5, with a friend at the Salvation Army in the 5300 block of Harry Hines Boulevard, police said.

Police said Hester never told them that she left her three children at the shelter.

Investigators said the friend called police early Tuesday to report that Hester had not returned for her children.

"(Hester's friend is) homeless, and she's having trouble taking care of herself, and she could not take care of the children, so she walked over to the bus stop, and she did call 911," Crowther said.

The three children were picked up by police and placed in the care of Child Protective Services. While police said Wednesday that they were trying to locate the mother, social workers said they knew on Tuesday where Hester was.

"We had the name of the mother, and we were able to track down the father of the oldest child," said Marissa Gonzales, a Child Protective Services spokeswoman. "That father mentioned to us on Tuesday that he thought the mother might be incarcerated."

Police said the mother will not be charged because she left the children with an adult.

"We have found no intent for this woman to have abandoned her children," Crowther said. "She left her children in the care and the custody of a competent adult."

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