A Jefferson County grand jury has returned six indictments against Dawn A. Vickers, 31, accusing her of abandoning or endangering each of six children. Police found Vickers working at a Waffle House in Port Arthur.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit, an 8-year-old girl was seen walking near Highland and Lavaca in Beaumont at about 11:35 p.m. on Sept. 10. She said she was trying to reach a store to buy her younger sister a bag of chips. She told an officer that her mother was working at Waffle House and that the children were home alone. Officers later found five other children at a home on Grandberry Street, including an 8-month-old baby. The children ranged in age from infancy to 10 years old.
The affidavit says the home was in disarray, with insects crawling on the walls and floors, and that several children had what appeared to be insect bites. Officers reported finding only a few canned goods and a box of instant mashed potatoes in the kitchen. The affidavit does not say how long the children had been left alone.