Texas Mom Abandons Kids Without Food For Six Weeks, Skips Town To Attend Funeral

A 34-year-old mother of two is now wanted after she abandoned her two children at home. She reportedly went to attend an out-of-town funeral, leaving behind her two daughters, aged 11 and 6, respectively.

While the girls reportedly stayed behind in unkempt conditions, their mother instructed the elder child to take care of her sister. The mother did not make proper arrangements for food for her kids for six weeks.

Court documents from authorities in Harris County claim that the absentee mother, Rayshawna Deanna Dowdell, asked her 11-year-old daughter to take care of her 6-year-old sister while she was away for more than a month.

Their disheveled home in Katy reportedly had no resources for sustenance. In March, a neighboring woman revealed that the children confided their helplessness to her, prompting her to let them stay with her. The children claimed their mother had left them alone for an extended period. The neighbor then informed authorities about the circumstances the children were facing.

Later, investigators found that the girls had allegedly been abandoned by their mother between Feb. 17 and March 30, 2026. Dowdell reportedly instructed her older daughter remotely to prepare her younger sister for school and find food for the two of them. She also instructed the 11-year-old on how to do daily chores and manage their needs.

Court documents state that the mother continued to communicate remotely with her children. She occasionally sent them meals through Uber Eats. In the meantime, one of the text messages between Dowdell and her older daughter explicitly showed that the child expressed distress, fear and a lack of food. The 11-year-old further revealed that she was unable to continue caring for her sister.

Authorities who later visited the woman’s residence noted that the children were living in inhospitable conditions. The surroundings were cluttered, and they had no food left. In fact, the back door of the property was also found unlocked, prompting serious concern for the children’s well-being and safety.

When deputies questioned Dowdell about the abandonment, she admitted leaving town for a funeral. However, she could not provide any communication records with her children showing when she was supposed to return.

As a result, Child Protective Services placed the two girls in the care of their aunt. However, Dowdell disrupted the arrangement when she allegedly got into a physical altercation with the children’s new caregiver. In the end, the woman reportedly took both children from their aunt’s care and brought them to an undisclosed location, evading welfare checks.

The children were later found in Ohio, and on April 6, Dowdell was placed on the lam. Meanwhile, prosecutors set her bail at $50,000 as she faces a felony charge of abandoning a child without intent to return. They have also filed a motion barring Dowdell from contacting her children or any other family members.