Rayshawna Deanna Dowdell, 34, faces charges of abandoning her children without intent to return after leaving her daughters, aged 11 and 6, alone in their Katy home for about six weeks. The Harris County Sheriff's Office says she remains at large. The children were later found safe in Ohio.
An investigation began on March 30 when a woman reported concerns about the girls, whom she had encountered at a neighborhood park in Katy, a suburb 30 miles west of Houston. The girls disclosed they had been left alone at their residence on Breakaway Lane from February 17 to March 30 without adult supervision, according to a criminal complaint from the Harris County Sheriff's Office. The 11-year-old told investigators she managed her younger sister's daily needs, including school preparation and obtaining food, while communicating remotely with her mother via digital messages providing instructions on activities like school attendance and food acquisition. Dowdell later told authorities she had traveled out of state for a funeral, though no adult caregiver was present in the home, officials said. The residence was found cluttered, unkempt, lacking food—supplied only via Uber Eats when sent by the mother—and unsecured, consistent with prolonged absence of supervision, the complaint states. A bail motion from the Harris County District Attorney's Office notes the home was dirty and in disarray, with the older girl in charge of her sibling. After the initial report, the children were placed with their aunt, but Dowdell allegedly got into a physical altercation with her, took the girls, and fled. Authorities conducted multiple unsuccessful welfare checks due to inconsistent information from Dowdell. She attempted to transport the children out of state and narrowly escaped law enforcement at an airport after being alerted to their presence, prosecutors allege. The children were ultimately located safe during a welfare check in Ohio, while Dowdell remains on the run.