A Texas mother is wanted by authorities after allegedly abandoning her two young children in a dirty home for over a month while she traveled out of town for a funeral. Rayshawna Deanna Dowdell, 34, is accused of leaving her 11-year-old daughter to care for her 6-year-old sister in their Katy residence without adequate food or supervision, according to court documents obtained by The Post.
Details of the Abandonment
The children were left between February 17 and March 30. The 11-year-old was responsible for getting her sibling ready for school and finding food. The home was described as cluttered, unkempt, and lacking food, with an unlocked back door. A concerned woman reported the situation after the children confided in her at a neighborhood park.
Remote Communication and Distress
Dowdell allegedly communicated with her children remotely, including sending meals through Uber Eats. Text messages from the 11-year-old showed distress, fear, lack of food, and inability to continue caring for her sister.
Legal Proceedings
Dowdell admitted to deputies that she was out of town for a funeral but had no digital evidence of informing her daughters when she would return. Child Protective Services placed the children with their aunt, but the arrangement failed after Dowdell allegedly got into a physical altercation with the aunt. She then took the children without disclosing their whereabouts and evaded welfare checks. The girls were later found in Ohio.
As of Wednesday, Dowdell remains at large. Prosecutors have set bail at $50,000 on a felony charge of abandoning a child without intent to return.
