A Texas woman and her boyfriend are behind bars after authorities found a deceased boy inside a Houston apartment, decomposing while his three siblings lived there alone.
According to Harris County Sheriff, Ed Gonzalez, 35-year-old Gloria Y. Williams was arrested Tuesday and charged with injury to a child by omission, failure to provide adequate supervision, and failure to provide medical care.
Williams’ boyfriend, Brian W. Coulter, 31, was also arrested Tuesday and charged with murder in connection with the boy’s death. Previous reports indicated that the boy was nine, but Gonzalez said the child was eight and died at some point in 2020, ABC 7 reports.
The parents lived in an apartment 15 minutes away from the children.
The 8-year-old’s three siblings, ages 15, 7, and 4, had been living alone for almost a year at the CityParc II at West Oaks Apartments. On Sunday, the 15-year-old called 911 and said his mother had left him there for months with his younger siblings. He also said his younger brother was dead inside a room at the apartment, and they had been living with his decomposing body for months.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, the Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office said the child died from “homicidal violence” and had numerous blunt force trauma injuries.
“They [the children] were in there while the body was deteriorating,” Gonzalez said at a press conference. The siblings “were fending for each other. … The 15-year-old was taking care of the others.”
A neighbor at the apartment complex noticed a smell coming from the children’s apartment, beginning about a year ago. She told ABC 7 that she believed the apartment was abandoned, and that she notified the building management multiple times about the odor.
The children were removed from the apartment and taken to a local hospital for medical checkups. They’re now in the custody of Child Protective Services.
“Child Protective Services is currently investigating alongside law enforcement to ensure the immediate safety of the children. The children are being evaluated at an area hospital and the Department of Family and Protective Services is seeking emergency custody of all three boys,” CPS said in a statement.
The story continues to develop. Check back for updates.
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